MOLI VIEW™

On Tuesday, the Lakers put it all on the line. And I am not even specifically addressing the season that ends if Los Angeles loses to Boston at the Garden. No, the stakes I'm talking are even bigger: If L.A. doesn't get the upset win in Game Six, I'll eat a bug.

That Cal Worthington-esque vow came about Sunday in Venice, after watching Turkey's thrilling comeback win over the Czech Republic in Euro football action. The fam was all gathered round, and I just blurted it out. No one, excepting my older son, had been feeling my assurances that the Lakers weren't finished in the wake of Thursday's historic meltdown. And I really needed to be heard.

I will keep my word, but I really don't see myself snacking on an insect tomorrow night. And, oddly enough, none of my confidence has to do with the prospect of game fixing. No. I simply believe the Lakers have outplayed the Celtics throughout the series. My take on L.A., based on watching about three-quarters of the team's games this season, is that they are intellectual and finesse oriented, as opposed to tenacious and tough. The Lakers, the NBA's second-youngest team and most experts' championship favorite for 2009, tend to watch a bit of basketball before dissecting their opponents. And that's what had been happening in this series, before letting up on the gas upended my guys on Thursday night.

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