they pretty much are. how long has it been since their last championship? 20,25,30 years....

22. The nice thing is the Celtics management have set it up so that they'll be in contention for the next decade or so.

They still have the big three for another few years. And once each player's contract is up, they'll have the money to go out and get a top quality free agent. I forget at the moment, but I think Ray Allen's contract is the first to expire. So it'll be Garnett, Pierce and someone else. And that will happen two more times with Pierce and Garnett. Ainge set it up that way so the Celtics could be in contention for the forseeable future. And with players like Rajon Rondo, Leon Powe and Kendrick Perkins only getting better, they're in good shape.

I figured the Spurs would have another win in them, but that's kind of how I expected the series to go.

congratz to the Lakers for kicking the Spurs ass.

Lakers are gonna win the NBA Finals without Bynum. No way Boston or Detroit can shut down that offense.

It doesn't matter who wins the Boston/Detroit series. The Lakers will NOT win.

bad news for Game 6

Detroit Pistons guard Richard Hamilton, Questionable for Game 6 with a hurt elbow

He'll play. http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=A ... &type=lgns

The only question is how hurt the elbow is. Even if he's at 70% the Pistons are still in good shape. I expect the best game possible from him and the Pistons tonight.

Rip strained his right elbow - his shooting hand is attached to that elbow!

If I know my Pistons, I'm sensing a loss tonight... Chauncey's not 100%, Rip's not 100%, Sheed one tech away from a suspension. Except for the injuries this looks exactly the same as last year's game 6 loss to Cleveland where Detroit imploded, Sheed got his 7th tech (and would have been suspended for a game 7), and Detroit lost to Cleveland.

I say they implode and blame the injuries!

It's a 'glass half empty day'!

Just like the refs don't call a penalty in the last minute of a game > it should be interesting how they treat Detroit’s Rasheed Wallace with any tech calls.

Anyway, again, as with most sports the refs are shit and ready can't handle or call a correct game

Overall, I do think the refs have been doing a very shitty job this year, but it's largely been equally shitty on both sides of the ball, and I don't buy any conspiracy theories... even though it appears the league will get their Lakers vs. Celtics dream Finals.

Finals, which I'll with no problems, skip.

Boston is in.

i'm glad for KG and Ray Allen. Their first trip to the finals.
Too bad Kobe Bryant is going to ruin it for them.

The NBA is luving this.

LAKERS vs CELTICS

okey i'm also happy for Paul Pierce.

2006-07 San Antonio Spurs > Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0
2005-06 Miami Heat > Dallas Mavericks 4-2
2004-05 San Antonio Spurs > Detroit Pistons 4-3
2003-04 Detroit Pistons > Los Angeles Lakers 4-1
2002-03 San Antonio Spurs > New Jersey Nets 4-2
2001-02 Los Angeles Lakers > New Jersey Nets 4-0
2000-01 Los Angeles Lakers > Philadelphia 76ers 4-1
1999-00 Los Angeles Lakers > Indiana Pacers 4-2
1998-99 San Antonio Spurs > New York Knicks 4-1
1997-98 Chicago Bulls > Utah Jazz 4-2
1996-97 Chicago Bulls > Utah Jazz 4-2
1995-96 Chicago Bulls > Seattle SuperSonics 4-2
1994-95 Houston Rockets > Orlando Magic 4-0
1993-94 Houston Rockets > New York Knicks 4-3
1992-93 Chicago Bulls Phoenix Suns 4-2
1991-92 Chicago Bulls > Portland Trail Blazers 4-2
1990-91 Chicago Bulls > Los Angeles Lakers 4-1
1989-90 Detroit Pistons > Portland Trail Blazers 4-1
1988-89 Detroit Pistons > Los Angeles Lakers 4-0
1987-88 Los Angeles Lakers > Detroit Pistons 4-3
1986-87 Los Angeles Lakers > Boston Celtics 4-2
1985-86 Boston Celtics > Houston Rockets 4-2
1984-85 Los Angeles Lakers > Boston Celtics 4-2
1983-84 Boston Celtics > Los Angeles Lakers 4-3
1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers > Los Angeles Lakers 4-0
1981-82 Los Angeles Lakers > Philadelphia 76ers 4-2
1980-81 Boston Celtics > Houston Rockets 4-2
1979-80 Los Angeles Lakers > Philadelphia 76ers 4-2
1978-79 Seattle SuperSonics > Washington Bullets 4-1
1977-78 Washington Bullets > Seattle SuperSonics 4-3
1976-77 Portland Trail Blazers > Philadelphia 76ers 4-2
1975-76 Boston Celtics > Phoenix Suns 4-2
1974-75 Golden State Warriors > Washington Bullets 4-0
1973-74 Boston Celtics > Milwaukee Bucks 4-3
1972-73 New York Knicks > Los Angeles Lakers 4-1
1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers > New York Knicks 4-1
1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks > Washington Bullets 4-0
1969-70 New York Knicks > Los Angeles Lakers 4-3
1968-69 Boston Celtics > Los Angeles Lakers 4-3
1967-68 Boston Celtics > Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers > San Francisco Warriors 4-2
1965-66 Boston Celtics > Los Angeles Lakers 4-3
1964-65 Boston Celtics > Los Angeles Lakers 4-1
1963-64 Boston Celtics > San Francisco Warriors 4-1
1962-63 Boston Celtics > Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
1961-62 Boston Celtics > Los Angeles Lakers 4-3
1960-61 Boston Celtics > St. Louis Hawks 4-1
1959-60 Boston Celtics > St. Louis Hawks 4-3
1958-59 Boston Celtics > Minneapolis Lakers 4-0
1957-58 St. Louis Hawks > Boston Celtics 4-2
1956-57 Boston Celtics > St. Louis Hawks 4-3
1955-56 Philadelphia Warriors > Fort Wayne Pistons 4-1
1954-55 Syracuse Nationals > Fort Wayne Pistons 4-3
1953-54 Minneapolis Lakers > Syracuse Nationals 4-3
1952-53 Minneapolis Lakers > New York Knicks 4-1
1951-52 Minneapolis Lakers > New York Knicks 4-3
1950-51 Rochester Royals > New York Knicks 4-3
1949-50 Minneapolis Lakers > Syracuse Nationals 4-2
1948-49 Minneapolis Lakers > Washington Capitols 4-2
1947-48 Baltimore Bullets > Philadelphia Warriors 4-2
1946-47 Philadelphia Warriors > Chicago Stags 4-1

I don't know - one Detriot foul to the line in the 4th quarter and Detriot got called with alot more fouls when off the ball and Boston hardly got called.

Plus I don't really understand the calls at the basket because there is always bumping, hitting, touching and sometimes it is called and most times not.

so frustrating....

question on the Celts/Lakers, who has the more complete team?

I think that's the end of an era for the Pistons. It's too bad that with 6 ECF appearances they're going to end up with only one title and 2 Finals appearances. I do think they were better this year than last, but Boston was a tougher opponent than Cleveland last year. But, the bottom line is the Pistons just don't have "it" anymore... they don't have that fire or confidence they had in 2004 and 2005.

I think Flip is gone for sure - which I'm more than fine with. I'm only worried that they're going to boot Rasheed too, he's by far the most tradable (last year of contract with big $). While it might be a smart move, he's my favorite Piston. But, at the same time they have to do something different, and I'm not sure what else they could do?

I hope Boston wins just because KG deserves it, and I'm tired of listening to all the pundits say that the Western Conference is better. With that said, I don't like many others besides KG on the Celts... Cassell is the ugliest player to ever step on a court, Pierce is too wannabe gangster-ish, I don't like Rondo, and Ray Allen is soft. But, all told any of them are better miles better than Kobe.

So, go Celts!

I'll take Lakers in a less competitive than expected 5 games. I think they'll take Game 1 and then hold homecourt from there.

I was all kinds of wrong this round!

For the year I am a very mediocre 9-5.

So, here goes my last prediction and a chance to get to make it a slightly more respectable 10-5:

Boston over LA in 6 games.

It's a 2-3-2 format... I think Boston will win the first two at home... sneak one of the 3 out of LA, and then win game 6 at home. I think the Lakers are going to be rudely awakened by some hardcore Eastern Conference defense, not that soft Western Conf. shit.

LAKERS in 6

Lakers will steal game 1.
Boston will steal game 3.
Lakers take game 4,5 & end it in the Garden.

Now that, I didn't expect. I'm going to be honest. I didn't think the chances of the Celtics winning tonight were that good. I thought that they might have a good effort, keep it close, but ultimately the Pistons would pull away because they would be the desperate team. So the Celtics started off well. They were hitting the shots they needed to, and kept the Pistons at bay. Then the Pistons went on their roll and got up by ten. I figured that would be the difference. Then the Celtics came up with one of the most dominant quarters I have ever seen a Celtics team play in my lifetime (not saying much, but you get the picture). The Pistons did have some chances on offense, but with the way the Celtics were attacking on both sides of the ball, the Pistons just seemed lost and tentative.

They still had to beat them though and if there is anyone to beat going into the NBA Finals out of the East, it's the Pistons. They're a great team.

Good series Tony.



I'm extremely biased, and I've only seen a handful of Lakers games this year, but it's the Celtics for one simple reason.

Defense.

This is how the teams the Lakers faced faired on offense against them. I'll put them in spoilers though because it takes up too much space.



Grand total: Their opponents are averaging 99 points a game.

Here's how the Celtics did.



Grand total: The Celtics opponents average 87 (I rounded down. It's actually 87.3.) points per game.

In short, the team who plays the best defense wins the series. As long as the Celtics continue to play great on defense like they did all during the regular season and into the playoffs, they'll win.

Lakers will win. They needed Boston to get in, because they would lose to the Pistons.

I can not STAND Celtics fans anymore. FAKE FAKE FAKE.

It's disgusting.

Go Lakers!

Change of heart all of a sudden?