[NBA] Celtics over Pistons, 89-81

And while I now officially renounce my allegiance to the Pistons, I can't hate on the outcome.

First, if you're an NBA fan from the waybacks, you can't help but get mooshy in the britches about the first Finals meeting between the Lakers & Celtics since 1987.

Second, it's often good to see solid players get their chance to shine, and I've always thought that Kevin Garnett was one of those guys that deserved a ring at some point in his career.

Third, maybe this will inspire some sweeping changes of the guard in the Pistons camp, namely the trade of Rasheed "Snaggletooth" Wallace, the Technical King. Get Ben Wallace back if you need a big man in the post (and maybe that will get him back on the track that he's diverged from since his first year with the Bulls). If it's a power forward you need ... seriously, you can't scan this list of power forwards and pick a better choice than 'Sheed? Shit, McDyess seems to be doing just fine. I'd settle for a trade of Wallace for two underutilized players to just decorate the bench and a bag of basketballs to use in practice. (Shame that Chris Webber ended up not working out in the longer run, but hey, what'cha gonna do?!)

Fourth, as of the press conference last night, it would seem that Flip Saunders is sweating out the franchise's post-season brainstorming sessions. One of the first questions asked after the game was, "What's your future with the Pistons?" That's gotta be like asking that girl that you took home from the club, "So, when you leaving?" after you've busted nut on her lower back tattoo. Saunders deflected that one, but he looked fazed by the question.

So, yeah, I hope the Pistons appreciated that cup of coffee that they had with the Big Gold Ball back in 2003-2004.

Oh, and on a side note ... let me be the first Mad Scientist to extend a hearty "thank you" to the NBA for their anti-flopping crusade ... it would seem that this year also marks the end of the "championship" Spurs, too. Maybe this will cut down on my irrational screaming of the phrase, "Get off your fucking ass and play some damn basketball!" at the television.

Game 1 of the NBA Finals - Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers is Thursday, 9pm on ABC.