We learned a lot during the 2008 NBA Finals. For starters, we learned that the Boston Celtics were the Association’s best squad. After Tuesday’s 131-92 shellacking of the Lakers in Game 6, there’s no denying that fact.

We also learned a lot about Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. With the exception of a Game 3 no-show, Pierce was incredible on both ends of the floor. He knocked down timely perimeter jumpers when needed, but most of all, Pierce relentlessly attacked the basket off the dribble.

The KU product earned Finals MVP honors, hooking up gamblers with a 4/1 payout. Pierce had 17 points and 10 assists in the clincher.

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Allen, who went through one of the worst shooting slumps of his career during the early stages of the playoffs and also took loads of criticism for his inability to defend Atlanta’s Joe Johnson in the first round, stepped up when it mattered most. He drained 7-of-9 shots from 3-point land in Game 6 en route to a 26-point effort.

We also learned that ABC analyst Marc Jackson is wrong every now and then. For instance, Jackson called Kobe Bryant the ‘best player in the world’ at least 25 times during the Finals.

Turns out, Bryant wasn’t even the best player in this series (Pierce undoubtedly was). In fact, he wasn’t even the second best (Ray Allen clearly was). And in Game 6, Bryant couldn’t have worn James Posey’s jock strap.

Seriously, Posey absolutely dominated Bryant on Tuesday night. After Bryant made his first four shots (while Posey was on the bench), he made just 3-of-18. Bryant needed 43 minutes, 22 shots from the field and five free throw attempts to score 22 points.

On the flip side, Posey needed only four shots (zero free-throw attempts) and 26 minutes to score 11 points. Posey didn’t miss all night and stymied Bryant defensively by beating him to spots and being more physical. He also had three steals, three rebounds, one assist and one blocked shot.

As for Kevin Garnett, I was disappointed in his play at times during the Finals, especially in Games 3 and 5. But in the clincher, KG was nothing short of sensational, scoring 26 points and pulling down 14 rebounds, not to mention four assists, three steals and one block.

Boston overcame every obstacle, including a pair of Game 7’s against the Hawks and Cavs. When Rajon Rondo wasn’t full speed in Game 4, Eddie House stepped up. When Kendrick Perkins left Game 4 with a shoulder injury, P.J. Brown played like the stalwart veteran that he is.

For every question, the Celtics had an answer. And now they are the NBA champs for the 17th time and the first time in 22 years.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

--Boston covered the spread in all six games of the series. The C’s cashed tickets in Game 6 as 4 ½-point favorites.

--Gamblers backing Boston with series bets prior to Game 1 earned a plus 160 return (risk $100 to win $160).

--The 223 combined points in Game 6 soared ‘over’ the 191-point total. The ‘over’ cashed in Games 5 and 6 to finish the series with a 3-3 mark.

--You could tell early in Game 6 that Rondo’s ankle problem was a thing of the past. Check out this nasty stat line from Rondo in the clincher: 21 points, eight assists, seven rebounds, six steals and just one turnover.

--I mentioned Bryant’s abysmal shooting numbers earlier, but there were plenty of other flaws in his Game 6 performance. He was a non-factor on the boards with just three rebounds. He didn’t create opportunities for his teammates, finishing with an atrocious 1-4 assists-turnover ratio. And he wasn’t active defensively, making just one steal and failing to block a shot in 43 minutes of playing time.

Brian Edwards can be reached at briane@vegasinsider.com.