Silver Screen And Roll: The Title Has Been Defended

The Lakers and the Celtics battled for the 2010 title in Thursday night's Game 7, and unfortunately for Bostons fans, L.A. was better in the fourth quarter. They took the victory, and the championship, 83-79. SB Nation's Lakers blog, Silver Screen and Roll, breaks down the action quarter-by-quarter. And the player that emerged was Ron Artest. He proved to be a force, vindicating the Lakers decision of signing him.

The singular hero of Game Seven, however, was Ron Artest. He scored 20 points on 20 shots, which doesn't sound terribly efficient, but in a game when neither team cracked a point per possession, he was one of the more potent offensive options. He also racked up five steals, harassed Paul Pierce constantly and never let his energy flag despite playing 46 minutes. It was a resounding triumph for the favorite son of Queensbridge, not to mention sweet vindication for Mitch Kupchak, who made the controversial decision to replace Trevor Ariza with Ron-Ron. The debate over that offseason move is now closed. The 16th banner that will soon hang at Staples Center is the final word.

Tonight's a moment of celebration for the city of Los Angeles and for Laker fans everywhere. A long and occasionally trying season has reached a magnificent conclusion. Kobe Bryant has five rings, Phil Jackson 11 and Adam Morrison two. We're all genuinely privileged to be fans of this towering franchise.

Now who's in the mood for a three-peat?

This was a defensive struggle and in the end the Lakers prevailed. The statistics below do not lie. Congratulations to the Lakers and their fans. They were the better team last night and deserved the title.