With Kobe Bryant draining turnaround jumpers to the tune of “MVP! MVP!” and the Celtics offense being berated with jabs of “Boston Sucks! Boston Sucks!” over the course of Boston’s 107-100 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night at the Staples Center, you would have thought that the animosity shared between the two sides had returned to late-2000s or mid-1980s level height.
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However, despite the intensity that Bryant emblazoned in his valiant 34-point effort, bringing back memories of when Number 24 ravaged the Celtics and became the most potent rival of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen, this was indeed his last showing in the historic rivalry.