Continuing my series of lists counting down the 50 greatest NBA teams (according to me), here are the next ten in the list, #'s 40-31:

40. 2001-02 Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers had won two straight NBA titles, and had just come off the greatest run in NBA playoff history. They now sought to make it three in a row, something only three teams (50s Lakers, 60s Celtics and 90s Bulls) had done. As had become their custom during their run, the Lakers coasted through the season, going 58-24. But the Sacramento Kings swooped in to claim the Pacific by three games. With an intense rivalry between both teams, a Lakers-Kings showdown made for good box office.

The Lakers coasted through the first two rounds, pounding Portland 3-0 for the second straight year, and the Spurs 4-1, before their showdown with the Kings. Sacramento took two of the first three, and appeared ready to take game 4, before an errant shot under the basket bounced to Robert Horry, who sank a three to win the game. The Lakers took the series in seven after Sacramento stopped hitting free throws down the stretch.

The NBA Finals were anticlimatic; the Lakers swept the New Jersey Nets, marking the first time the Lakers swept a Finals series. Shaquille O'Neal won Finals MVP for the third straight time, joining Michael Jordan as the only players to win three straight. O'Neal and Kobe Bryant both were first team All-NBA (1st time for Kobe). As it turned out, it was the end of the Lakers' run, as the team was dismantled two years later (but are now poised to regain the title).

39. 1996-97 Chicago Bulls: The Bulls had set a league record with 87 wins (including playoffs) the previous season, and what could this team do for an encore? Michael Jordan continued to lord over the league, claiming his ninth scoring title with a 29.6 average. The Bulls had a chance to win 70 games again before a last-game loss to New York dropped them to 69 wins. There were concerns that this team might not have the juice to run to another title.

The Bulls quickly showed those fears should have been unfounded, as they rolled past Washington (3-0), Atlanta (4-1) and Miami (4-1) to reach the Finals. There, they faced the Utah Jazz, who were making their first trip. The series had several memorable moments.

Game one went to Chicago 84-82 as Jordan hit a jumper over Bryon Russell (we'll see them again later in the countdown) after Karl Malone, the regular season MVP, missed two critical free throws. They took game two at home, then lost two straight in Utah. Prior to game 5, Jordan came down with the flu, and there were wonders if he could play, or play effectively.

Jordan would proceed to put on one of the greatest performances in NBA history, scoring 38 points (including a key three late) to lead Chicago to a 90-88 win. Game six featured similar drama, as with the game tied at 86, Jordan jumped in the air... and hit Steve Kerr with a pass. Kerr swished the jumper, and after the Jazz turned the ball over, the Bulls had thier fifth title in seven years. Jordan won his 5th Finals MVP.

38. 1994-95 Houston Rockets: The Rockets had reason to feel good. They had won a dramatic Finals in 7 over the Knicks the year before, and were favorites to keep the repeats going (each of the three previous title holders repeated). But their season was a struggle, as they didn't look like the defending champs.

Then, in February, management made a bold move, trading Otis Thorpe to Portland for Clyde Drexler, reuniting Drexler with former University of Houston teammate Hakeem Olajuwon. The Rockets still finished 3rd in the Midwest (6th overall) at 47-35, and no team had won a title from that low a seeding.

The Rockets faced division rival Utah first. The Rockets came back from 2-1 down to win the series in five. Then, they faced Phoenix, who had taken them to seven the previous year. Phoenix went up 3-1, but couldn't put Houston away. The Rockets won three straight (including a 115-114 game seven in Phoenix), then dispatched San Antonio in six, to reach the Finals against Orlando.

Game one saw Orlando take an early 20 point lead, but Houston fougght back (aided by a record seven threes by Kenny Smith) to tie it late. After Nick Anderson missed four free throws late that would have sealed it, The Rockets won in OT. The Magic never recovered, and Houston sewpt the series. Olajuwon was named MVP.

37. 1959-60 Boston Celtics: The Celtics were now two time defending champs, and the 1959-60 season saw them firmly establish themselves as the dominant force in the league. Even with the Warriors adding rookie Wilt Chamberlain (ROY and MVP that season), the Celtics finished ten games ahead of Philly with a 59-16 record. In the first playoff meeting between Bill Russell and Chamberlain, the C's had little trouble, winning in six games.

That led to a showdown with the St. Louis Hawks, who withstood a seven game series with the Lakers (in their last season in Minneapolis) to make the Finals. The series went seven, and with Russell scoring 22 and adding 35 rebounds, the Celtics won 122-103 for their third straight title.

36. 1981-82 Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers had just come off a tumutuous 1981 season, where their title repeat dreams were dashed by Magic Johnson's knee troubles and dissention in the ranks, leading to a 1st round ouster by Houston. While some of the trouble seeds were dumped in the offseason, Johnson and coach Paul Westhead didn't see eye to eye, as Westhead's power philosophy clashed with Johnson's push-it-up style. Westhead was fired after a 7-4 start, and Johnson was actually booed a little in L.A.

The Lakers tried to convince Jerry West to take over as coach, but he refused, and they settled for Westhead assistant Pat Riley (West agreed to sit next to Riley early on to ease him in). Riley pushed the tempo up, and the Lakers (with the help of midseason addition Bob McAdoo) won 50 of their last 71 games to finish first in the West.

The playoffs turned into their showcase. The Lakers rolled past Phoenix and San Antonio in sweeps, leading to a rematch of the 1980 Finals against the 76ers, who survived a seven game series with the defending champion Celtics.

The series was full of blowouts. The closest game was a seven point finish in game one, as Riley and Billy Cunningham outschemed each other. The Lakers won the series in six, with Johnson winning his second Finals MVP. It was the first of five titles for Riles as a head coach.

35. 1978-79 Seattle Supersonics: The Supersonics had come agonizingly close to the NBA title in 1978, losing the seventh game to Washington 105-99 after Dennis Johnson went 0-14 in the game. The Sonics, with coach Lenny Wilkens in for a full season, won the Pacific division with a 52-30 record, and secured home court throughout the West.

In the playoffs, they beat the Lakers in five, then survived a tough seven game series with Phoenix to make the Finals, and once again face the Bullets, who themselves won a seven game finals against the Spurs.

The Sonics lost game one after Larry Wright hit two free throws with no time on ther clock. The loss only inspired the Sonics. With Johnson and Gus Williams scoring over half their teams' points in the series, the Sonics won four straight for their only NBA title. Johnson was named Finals MVP.

34. 1977-78 Washington Bullets: The Bullets had had no luck at all in their two previous Finals appearences. Both times (1971 and 1975) they had been swept. So when they quietly won 44 games and finished second in the Central division (3rd in the conference), no one expected much.

After winning their 1st round series with Atlanta 2-0, the Bullets surprised the Spurs by beating them 4-2 in round two. Agianst the Sixers, who had swept New York in their second round matchup, the Bullets won game 1 in Philly, a crucial victory, and won in six games.

The Finals matchup with Seattle was hard fought. Each team traded victories in the first six games, before the Bullets cliamed the title in game seven, primarily by holding Dennis Johnson to 0-14 shooting. Wes Unseld was named MVP, and it was the only title for both Unseld (984 games played) and Elvin Hayes (1,303 games).

33. 1968-69 Boston Celtics: The Celtics looked like a tired team throughout the 1968-69 season, as they struggled to a 48-34 record, the worst record since Bill Russell joined the team. Russell still was effective as a rebounder (third in the league) and the Celtics had an aura around them that, even without home court advantage, they could win a title.

In round one, they turned back the Sixers 4-1, looking like the old Celtics. Against the Knicks in the Easten finals, Russell held Willis Reed in check, and they took the series in six. Still, few expected them to beat the Lakers, who not only had Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, and Wilt Chamberlain, but had vengence in their minds for six prior Finals losses to Boston.

The Lakers won the first two games, Boston fired back with two, and the teams split games 5 & 6. Ther seven game was at the Forum, and as fate would have it, the Celtics discovered a agenda program of Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke. Cooke planned a big celebration with lots of baloons in the rafters and a Chick Hearn interview with Baylor, West and Chamberlain.

The Celtics stormed out and led by double figures after three. The Lakers fought to within two, then Don Nelson (yes, that Don Nelson) hit a jumper that bouned high off the back rim, and in. The Celtics won 108-106. The baloons came down without fanfare the next day. In August, Russell retired. He left with 11 titles in his 13 pro seasons, a record that's unlikely to be matched.

32. 2002-03 San Antonio Spurs: Since last year's team is too new to be ranked, this team will have to suffice. The 2003 Spurs came out determined to regain their throne. With the defending champion Lakers looking vulnerable, the West was as open as it had been in four years.

Tim Duncan captured his second straight MVP, finishing 7th in scoring and 3rd in boards. The Spurs won 60 games to finish 1st in the West, and after having some trouble with the Suns in round one, they faced the Lakers, who had ended their season each of the prior two seasons.

The Spurs had little trouble with the shaky Lakers this time; they won 4-2, including a 28 point thumping in the clincher, then beat Dallas 4-2 to reach the Finals against the Nets.

The series certainly wasn't an artistic classic (only once did a team reach 100 points; SA in game one), but the Spurs clawed their way to their second title of the Duncan era. Duncan was Finals MVP, and Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili had their first rings.

31. 2003-04 Detroit Pistons: As the years have passed, it dawns on me just how special this series was. It may prove to be the only title for this era's Pistons, the one time they caught lightning in a bottle, and by doing so, ending a potential dyansty in the making.

Coming off a postseason where they were swept by the Nets, Detroit finished second in the Central (3rd in conference) with a 54-28 record. They smashed Milwaukee in 5, setting up a rematch of the conference finals in round two. The Pistons took the first two games, then the Nets took the next three (including a triple OT classic in game 5) and seemed poised to deliver the KO shot. But the Pistons won games 6 & 7, holding Jason Kidd scoreless for the first time in his playoff career, to face Indiana in the con. finals.

There, the Pistons outslopped the Pacers in six, the signature moment coming in game two, when Tayshaun Prince blocked a Reggie Miller layup attempt to preserve victory. Still, they were heavy underdogs against the Lakers. They not only had won three of the last four titles, but they wanted rings for Karl Malone and Gary Payton.

The Pistons claimed game one, but L.A. won game two when Kobe Bryant sank a game-tying shot and dominated OT. When the series shifted to Detroit, however, the dissenting Lakers, without the injured Malone, couldn't stop the stampede (or Kobe taking bad shots). The Pistons won all three home games (the first to do so since the 2-3-2 format began in 1985) and the title to boot. Chauncey Billups was named MVP, the first player to win the award without a prior All-Star appearence since Dennis Johnson in 1979. Shortly thgereafter, the Lakers were dismantled.

There are the next ten. Tomorrow will be #'s 30-21. See ya then!