NBA champions to be crowned tonight
Published:Thursday | June 17, 2010 | 8:47 AM
The NBA champion will be crowned tonight at Staples Centre in Los Angeles as defending champions Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics face off in Game 7.
Lakers will try to earn their 16th banner while denying Boston an unprecedented 18th title in the clubs\' second finals meeting in three years.
For the fifth time in their 12 finals meetings, Boston and Los Angeles need all seven games to decide it. Each previous time it went to Game 7, the Celtics won.
Although the Celtics have the rivalry\'s Game 7 history on their side, they have plenty stacked against them after an embarrassing 89-67 loss in Game 6 Tuesday night.
Most glaringly, Celtics won\'t have starting center Kendrick Perkins, who sprained multiple ligaments in his right knee in the first quarter.