Basketball is real. It's played on a real hardcourt, with real basketballs and real athletes. But if basketball was played on paper -- or in a computer -- the Celtics would not win the 2010 NBA Finals.
Sorry, C's fans. The computer says so.
The folks over at WhatIfSports.com simulated the 2010 NBA Finals 1001 times to find the most likely results. The series goes down to Game 7, where the Lakers make easy work of the Celtics, 106-96.
It's pretty eerie how these simulations seem to mimic real life. The odds are slim that these scores will play out exactly like the simulation says, but a seven-game series? That's possible and probable. Series of this magnitude just seem to work out like that.
The box scores also look like they could hold up. Kobe with 37 points in Game 1 on his home court is completely realistic. Rajon Rondo with a triple-double in Game 2 could definitely happen. And "Kendrick Perkins played like a man possessed" ... eh, well. That isn't quite as likely, but you still get my point.
It won't just be Celtics v. Lakers on Thursday. It'll be Celtics v. Really-Smart-Computer-Simulation-Engine, too.