2008 NBA Finals Game 5 Full Ticket Graded Lakers – 103, Celtics – 98 (Kobe Bryant 25 Points) – PSA 2

Presented is a 2008 NBA Finals Game 5 Full Ticket Graded. It was the game that the Lakers won 103-98 against the Celtics. For the Lakers, Kobe Bryant had 25 points and 5 steals. The big trio of HOF Celtics players included Paul Pierce who had 38 points; Ray Allen 16 and Kevin Garnett 13. The ticket has a wonderful graphic of the Kobe Bryant and Rick Fox holding the Championship trophies during parade. It was encapsulated and graded PSA Good 2.

The 2008 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) 2007–08 season and conclusion of the season’s playoffs. A best-of-seven playoff series that was played from June 5 to June 17, 2008, the series was contested between the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics and the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers. It was the 11th Finals meeting between the Lakers and the Celtics.

Led by the “Big 3” of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen, and holding home court advantage, the Celtics defeated the Lakers, led by Pau Gasol and MVP Kobe Bryant, in six games. It was their first title in twenty-two years and their 17th title overall, a record that still stands today even when the Lakers tied this record in 2020. Pierce was named Finals MVP.

In Game 4, the Lakers jumped out to an early lead, leading 43–24 with 11 minutes to play in the second quarter. And as in Game 4, the Celtics came back, taking a 62–60 lead behind the strong play of Paul Pierce. The Lakers finally regained their composure, outscoring Boston 24–18 in the 3rd quarter. In previous games, the Lakers were outscored by Boston in the 3rd quarter (22–31 in Game 1, 19–29 in Game 2, 17–25 in Game 3, and 15–31 in Game 4) by a total of 43 points (73–116).

The Lakers built a 14-point lead in the 4th quarter, but the Celtics again came back with a 16–2 run to tie the game at 90. With less than one minute left in the game, the Celtics had the ball with the Lakers leading 97–95. Pierce beat Bryant off the drive, but Bryant knocked the ball out of Pierce’s hands from behind. Lamar Odom picked up the loose ball and passed downcourt to Bryant for a breakaway dunk, giving the Lakers a 99–95 lead. The Lakers went on to win 103–98, sending the series back to Boston.

Kobe Bryant had 25 points, to go with five steals. Pau Gasol contributed 19 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists, Odom 20 points and 11 rebounds. For Boston, Pierce had a memorable 38 point effort, but outside of Allen (16 points) and Garnett (13 points and 14 rebounds) did not receive enough support from his teammates to clinch the championship at Staples. As for the odds stacked against the Lakers to come back from a 3–1 deficit, Jackson said, “We’re young enough and dumb enough to do this.”

2008 NBA Finals Game 5 Full Ticket Graded Lakers