FanNation - The Republic of Sport

   Nobody's getting cheated in 2008.

   In my college and postgrad days, I had the privilege of enjoying three Celtics-Lakers NBA Finals (even if the Hollywood boys won two of them). The two other championships the Celtics won in the '80s don't glitter quite as much, though. Not that beating the Houston Rockets twice was meaningless, but I still can't figure out how Moses Malone and four JAGS (the just a guy types filling out the lineup) got to the '81 Finals. The '86 Hakeem Olajuwon team was better, but given how the Dream's best days were ahead of him and that Ralph Sampson's career hit the toilet after that season...

   Better late than never, NBA gods.

   While I still rate the Lakers a slight favorite heading into Thursday night's opener, the Men in Green punched their ticket last night with the game their '80s counterparts (and many before that, too) would've been proud of.

   Even the Game 5 victory Wednesday didn't silence the doubters. Sure, the Celts barely hung on in the face of a Detroit rally. The bench produced little. Ray Allen's production was still in question. Rajon Rondo still seemed scared to shoot and passed down the stretch like he was throwing the ball out of an elevator shaft. And some still questioned whether Kevin Garnett was clutch.

   After that fourth quarter...any questions?

   Paul Pierce wanted the ball, like a team leader should, and kept taking it to the rack. Garnett's turnaround jumper was money. While I'd still like to see Rondo attack the basket a little more, he didn't turn the ball over in the face of the terrific pressure the Pistons threw at the ball.

   On the surface, Kendrick Perkins is Just A Guy. But if you look at more detailed box scores which include the plus-minus (if only basketball adopted that tool in the '80s like hockey did)...Perkins was a plus-13 in 41 minutes while the celebrated Rasheed Wallace was minus-15 in 31 minutes.

   The Celts only got 11 points out of the bench (they'll need more against LA), but James Posey provided the play that says it all about this series. With two minutes left and Detroit thinking comeback, Posey just poked the ball away from a shellshocked Tayshaun Prince, who is probably still looking for his shot in the bowels of the Palace of Auburn Hills as I type.

   Before last night's game, I was wondering why the Sam Hill there was talk about firing Flip Saunders. After all, the Pistons have been to six straight conference finals. But the way they failed to close the show with a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter, guys just stood around waiting for somebody else to make a play, Prince disappearing around the time Allen showed up, and Rasheed's leadership qualities AWOL (with little heart on display aside from the banged-up Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton), there may indeed be some changes made out there.

   There may be some changes made in San Antonio, too, after the Nicholsons erased two huge deficits and dethroned the Longorias in five. As terrific a playoffs as Tony Parker had, Tim Duncan needs some help inside. This series may have been Robert Horry and Michael Finley's one too many. There's got to be upgrade over Fabricio Oberto available and in the Spurs' price range, too.

   The Lakers didn't dominate in the regular season (and the Celts rolled them at Staples, albeit in the PG era - pre-Gasol). But LA can now go Pau-Pau inside, and after he was rescued from the hodgepile that is the Memphis Grizzlies, the big Spaniard doesn't complain about Kobe Bryant hoisting 40 shots a game. It's a classic Phil Jackson team - the superstar guard, the forward who's a load, and a bunch of guys who know their roles.

   My head tells me Lakers in six, but the Celtics dug deep and found a way to win on the road in the conference finals. And I'm not betting a red cent either way. Now, if I can find that old @#$% LA button, circa 1985, buried deep in my closet...