The Lakers went into Boston and snapped the Celtics’ 12-game winning streak, 110-109, in overtime. This is the second time this season that the Lakers ended one of Boston’s long winning streaks. The Celtics had won 19 straight before losing in L.A. on Christmas Day.

Anyway, here are six observations about the game.

1. My TiVo stopped recording with three minutes remaining in OT.
This is due in no small part to my forgetfulness in canceling my season pass for “My Name Is Earl,” which just isn’t very funny anymore. I recorded “Smallville” on the other tuner, so I was only able to extend the recording for the game by a half hour. This would have worked had TNT not spent the first 15 minutes of the broadcast jibber-jabbering about this and that. If you are saying that the game starts at 8:00 PM ET, tip-off should be no later than 8:05 PM. Grrr.

2. The “Garden” was rockin’.
Aside from a grumpy Bill Belichick sitting under one of the baskets with his arms crossed, refusing to applaud, the crowd was into the game from the get-go. NBA crowds are notorious for sitting on their hands, especially during the regular season, but last night’s crowd in Boston was pumped and ready to go. They were nowhere near the bar set by the Golden State fan base a few years ago, but it’s good to hear substantial chants of “DE-FENSE” early in the ball game.

3. The game was chippy.
Kobe and Rajon Rondo got into it. KG and Lamar Odom got into it. Kendrick Perkins got into it with just about everybody. I couldn’t tell what happened with Kobe and Rondo, but it looked like Rajon was a little pissed that Kobe came in at the end of a play and knocked his hand down, so he pushed him. That garnered the finger from Kobe that you see in the picture above. The KG/Odom bit started when the ref called an offensive foul on Garnett and Odom slapped him on the butt. KG took offense and the two talked sh*t for a few moments until teammates came and broke it up.

4. Garnett’s sixth foul changed the game.
It was a ticky-tack foul and the official should have known better. This is the NBA — when a superstar has five fouls, you better make sure that if you’re going to foul him out, he better damn well deserve it. There was barely any contact, Derek Fisher flopped and the ref fell for it. And it probably changed the outcome of the game.

5. Sasha Vujacic and Jordan Farmar are probably the two most annoying players in the NBA.
If I sat down and thought about it, I could probably come up with a few others, but there is no player more annoying than Sasha “The Machine” Vujacic. He has the greasy hair held back by some sort of girly hair net and he complains about every call. There was a great sequence in the first half when the Celtics made a run where Vujacic had back-to-back turnovers that led to five points for Boston. I love watching him get pissed off as he get benched. As for Farmar, as soon as he gets into the game he starts bitching to the refs. I wish some of these younger guys would just play ball.

6. Kobe was the difference in the end.
Say what you will about the Laker supporting cast. Lamar Odom was slightly less soft than usual and Pau Gasol did his crazy homeless look every time he made a good play, but it was Kobe’s three straight bombs over Paul Pierce late in the fourth quarter that really got the Lakers back into the game. He had an opening for the first shot, but Pierce was right in his face for the last two and Kobe still managed to knock them down.

This rivalry is very much alive. All due respect to the Cavs and the Spurs, but even though I generally root against the Lakers throughout the playoffs, I’d love to see another Boston/L.A. Finals this year.

The Christmas Day meeting between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers didn’t quite live up to the hype. The Lakers held control for much of the game and eventually won, 92-83. Kevin Garnett (22 points) and Paul Pierce (20 points) played well, but the rest of the Celtics combined to shoot just 18 of 50 (36%) from the field. Meanwhile, the Lakers shot 40% from long range, anchored by uncharacteristic accuracy from Luke Walton and Lamar Odom, who were both 2-3 from long range.

But tonight’s game will be in Boston and the Lakers are coming off a tough game last night in Toronto, which is why the Celtics are favored by seven points. Since losing four straight games in early January, the C’s are riding a 12-game winning streak. The Lakers have won eight of their last nine games, but will be without Andrew Bynum, who is going to miss 8-12 weeks with a torn MCL.

L.A. will be looking for revenge. The last time the Lakers visited Boston was for Game 6 of the 2008 Finals, when they were summarily trounced by the Celtics, 131-92.

The game is on TNT tonight at 8 PM ET.

- SPORTSbyBROOKS wonders if the Cowboys’ piss-poor record in December is due to poor conditioning. [SPORTSbyBROOKS]

- DALLAS SPORTS FANS relays a reporter’s account of the Cowboys’ surprisingly upbeat plane ride home after their horrible, season-ending loss to the Eagles. [DALLAS SPORTS FANS]

- DEADSPIN has video of Eagles owner Jeff Lurie high-fiving his wife’s (?) face after his team scored a touchdown. [DEADSPIN]

- Over at YARDBARKER, Shizz08 reaffirms that you don’t have to know how to write (or turn off your CAPS LOCK) to blog about how your favorite team got screwed by the refs. [YARDBARKER]

- NESW SPORTS has video of LeBron James’ terrific reverse layup against the Heat. [NESW SPORTS]

- SPORTSbyBROOKS wonders if Bill Parcells might fly the coop this summer after his masterful rebuilding job in Miami. [SPORTSbyBROOKS]

The NBA schedulers did a nice job this year – there are five games slated for Christmas Day that include nine good teams…and the Washington Wizards.

Well, they can’t all be winners.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the NBA action, starting with the one everyone wants to see…

MUST-WATCH

Celtics @ Lakers, 5:00 PM ET (ABC)
This “Game of the Year” might be better described as the “Game of the Season,” but let’s not get bogged down in semantics. The Celtics (27-2) bring their 19-game winning streak to Los Angeles, where the Lakers (23-5) are returning from a disappointing 2-2 road trip that featured losses to the Heat and the Magic. Will the Celtics miss James Posey? Will Andrew Bynum make the difference down low? Both teams feel that this is a statement game, so expect a playoff-type atmosphere at Staples Center.

NEXT BEST

Spurs @ Suns, 2:30 PM ET (ABC)
These two teams gave us the most exciting first round series last spring and there’s a bit of a rivalry brewing. I think the Suns took a step back with the Shaq trade, and Steve Nash is grumbling about his role in the offense, so it will be interesting to see if the Spurs can get a win in Phoenix.

IF YOU HAVE THE TIME

Hornets @ Magic, 12:00 PM ET (ESPN)
Chris Paul is the league’s best point guard and Dwight Howard is one of the league’s best centers. It might be worthwhile to tune into this one at about 1:30 ET and see if it’s close.

Mavericks @ Blazers, 10:30 PM ET (TNT)
If the Mavs still had Devin Harris, this one would be a lot more fun. The Blazers and Mavs are currently in the 6/7 positions in the Western Conference playoff race, so this one is important in terms of pecking order. Keep an eye on the up-and-coming Brandon Roy, who just dropped 52 points on the Suns a week ago (and is averaging 25.5 points per game in December).

HEY, AT LEAST THERE’S LEBRON

Wizards @ Cavaliers, 8:00 PM ET (TNT)
The schedule-makers were probably hoping that the Wizards would have more than four measly wins at this point in the season, but at least the game features the star power of LeBron. Maybe he and DeShawn Stevenson will reignite their silly feud from last season.

Offseason Movement: The Celtics were unable to re-sign James Posey, who ended up signing with the Hornets. GM Danny Ainge did re-sign Tony Allen, Eddie House, and Sam Cassell, while also signing Darius Miles and Patrick O’Bryant. Out of the draft, the team ended up with shooting guard JR Giddens and small forward Bill Walker.
Keep Your Eye On: The bench
Even more than last season, Boston is going to need a regular lift from its bench. With Posey gone, someone will have to pick up his defensive-mindedness and shooting touch. The bench projects to be very young, but with youth comes energy, and the Celtics will need it this season.
The Big Question: Now that the Big Three won a title, will they be as focused?
Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen came to Boston with one thing in mind – a NBA championship. Paul Pierce set aside his ego for the same reason. Throughout that season, the Celtics were focused on a singular goal, but now that they have their rings, will they be able to bring that same intensity every night? Hunger can really bolster a team’s success, and Boston will somehow have to manufacture that hunger this season. That’s a tough thing to do.
Outlook: The C’s are still the class of the East, but will face a bigger test within the conference given the improvements that the Sixers and the Heat have made, along with the continued maturity of the Magic and the Cavs. James Posey was so crucial to the team’s playoff success that one wonders if the team will be overcome that loss and stay as focused as they were last season. They are the odds-on favorites to win the East, but it’s shaping up to be a very interesting season in Beantown.