Lakers in 7 because of Bryant

O.C. Register: If you really think the Lakers will win this NBA Finals, you must think they can win Game 6 and/or 7 in Boston. No one has won a championship that late in a series, on the road, since Miami at Dallas in 2006, and, before that, Chicago at Utah in 1998.

No one has won a Finals Game 7 away from home since Washington at Seattle in 1978.

Or you must think the Lakers can get this done in 4 or 5, against the winningest team in the league, a club with one certain Hall of Famer and two other candidates, and a defense that has squeezed its playoff opponents into 87.3 points per game on 42.1 percent shooting. That isn’t happening.

You think that the elongated Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol can rein in Kevin Garnett, who, oddly, is regularly knocked for his unselfishness even as he averages 21.1 points in playoff games. “He’s a tough cover, and I’m looking forward to it,” said Odom, who then theorized that he would guard the bulkier Kendrick Perkins and let his Spanish friend take Garnett.

Either way, you figure Garnett will muffle one or the other defensively. “Garnett is playing the best postseason basketball of his career,” said Nate McMillan, Portland’s coach.

If you like the Lakers you’re thinking they can handle both Ray Allen and Paul Pierce on the wings. Allen hit eight of his final 14 3s against Detroit. Pierce has shot 124 foul shots in 20 playoff games. Kobe Bryant will take “the hottest one,” McMillan said.

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