Today, the My List special will resume by revealing the #8 team in the countdown, the Chicago Bulls. Before I dive head first into this, allow me to comment on the top comment getter today on the blogs. That blog has got to rank right up there with the most ignorant, spiteful, non-sports related, hateful, hard to read, bigoted, racist, stupid, and biggest wastes of time that I've seen on this site since I signed up here in November 2006. Almost worse than that, the Sizzle got into a verbal joust with gambit, and I thought (and I said as much in a comment on the blog in question) that was low-class, and while I agree that the major problem is that the blogger didn't talk about sports, that still is no excuse for taking a good blogger to task to defend that peace, er, piece of trash. You're better than that, Sizzle, and hopefully that #### is taken off this site or at least warned to stick to sports.

Speaking of sports, now that my commentary is out of the way, let's reveal the Bulls' all-time team.

Starters:

PG: Norm Van Lier: Van Lier gets forgotten by many people because he never truly stood out among the flashier PGs. But Van Lier was the engine that drove the Bulls during the 1970s. Acquired from Cincinnati during the 1971-72 season (a year after leading the league in assists with a 10.1 average), Van Lier led the team in assists every full season he played with the team. He was named All-NBA second team in 1973-74, made three All-Star teams (1974, 1976-77) and helped Chicago reach the 1974 Western Conference finals.

SG: Michael Jordan: As Bugs Bunny might say "What, you were expecting the Easter bunny?". Jordan certainly needs no introduction to basketball fans all over the world. Drafted #3 overall in 1984, Jordan captured ROY for the 1984-85 season with averages of 28.2 PPG, 6.5 RPG and 5.9 APG. After a serious foot injury kept him out of most of his second season, Jordan exploded for 63 points in game 2 of a first round series with Boston (causing Larry Bird to say it was God dressed as Jordan), and he never looked back. He would win ten scoring titles (and his career PPG of 30.1 is tops all time), five regular season MVPs (1988, 1991-92, 1996, 1998), three All-Star game MVPs (1988, 1996, 1998),  a Defensive POY (1988) and most importantly, six NBA titles, with Jordan winning Finals MVP in all six wins. He also won two Olympic gold medals (1984, 1992).

C: Artis Gilmore: Gilmore's best NBA years came when he played in Chicago. The Bulls spent a then-costly sum of $1 million to acquire Gilmore in the ABA dispersal draft in 1976. Gilmore responded with averages of 18.6 PPG and 13. RPG as Chicago won 49 games and extended the eventual champion Blazers to an elimination game in the 1st round that year. Gilmore's best stats year came in 1978-79. when he averaged 23.7 PPG and 12.7 RPG. He made four All-Star teams in Chicago, and led the league in FG% twice with the team (1981-82).

SF: Scottie Pippen: Pippen was the ideal "Robin" to Jordan's "Batman" during the Bulls' dynasty of the 1990s. Chicago traded Olden Polynice to Seattle for Pippen on draft night 1987, Pippen didn't begin to blossom until his third season, when new coach Phil Jackson made him the setup guy for his offense. Pippen made his first All-Star team that year (one of seven he made during his career), and in year four, the Bulls were NBA champs, as Pippen scored 32 to lead the Bulls in the clinching game of the 1991 Finals. Pippen would average over 20 PPG four times (a career high of 22 PPG in 1993-94), and would be named All-NBA Defensive 1st team eight straight times (1992-99). He also was the only player (besides Jordan) to play on all six Bulls championship teams.

PF: Horace Grant: Say what you may about Dennis Rodman, but Grant was on the Bulls longer than Rodman, and was a more all-around threat. Drafted by the team in 1987, Grant began to show potential in his second season (12 PPG and 8.6 RPG), and was steady throughout his Bulls run (as the third option behind Jordan and Pippen). Grant averaged a double-double twice as a Bull (1992 and 1994, which was his only All-Star game appearence), and had his best stats year in his last Bulls season in 1993-94 with 15.1 PPG and 11 RPG. He won three titles with the team before bolting for Orlando in 1994.

Reserves:

PG: John Paxson: The ideal PG for the triangle offense, Paxson was a throw-in in a trade the Bulls made with the Spurs to add George Gervin in 1985 (the Iceman played his final season with the Bulls). He eventually became a starter full time in 1989, and his precise shooting opened up the floor for Phil Jackson's revolutionary O. Paxson's zenith came in game five of the 1991 Finals, when he scored 10 points in the last four minutes of the game to clinch the title for Chicago. He also hit the clinching three to seal the Bulls' third straight title in 1993. Today, he is in charge of the Bulls as team GM.

SG: Jerry Sloan: Before become universally known as the hard### coach of the Utah Jazz, Sloan was an equally hard### player for the Bulls of the 60s and early 70s. Acquired in the expansion draft from the Bullets in 1966, Sloan was a solid scorer (five seasons of 15 or better PPG, a high of 18.3 in 1970-71), but he made his name by being a tough defensive player. Four times he was named to the All-Defensive 1st team (the first ever team in 1969, 1972, 1974-75) and he had 100+ steals twice (steals weren't kept until the final three seasons of his career). He has carried that success into coaching, with his hard-nosed style producing five conference finals berths and two trips to the NBA Finals.

C: Bill Cartwright: "Mr. Bill" may have had not been Jordan's close friend, but he was a dependable C of the Bulls' first three peat of the 90s. Added in a trade with the Knicks (where he was an All-Star in 1980 as a rookie) for Charles Oakley in 1988, Cartwright's best stats year was his first in Chicago, with 12.4 PPG and 6.7 RPG. Though his stats steadily declined, Cartwright had enough left to start on three title teams. He would play six years in Chicago until he finished his career in Seattle in 1994-95.

SF: Bob Love: Love was the original scoring machine for the Bulls in the 70s. Acquired almost as an afterthought from Milwaukee in 1969, Love expolded the following year, as he averaged 21 PPG in 1969-70 after 5.9 the previous year. It was the first of six straight years of 20+ PPG for Love, who played in three All-Star games (1971-73). Love was also a key part of the Bulls team that reached the 1974 Western finals, and was All-NBA second team twice (1971-72).

PF: (tie) Charles Oakley/Dennis Rodman: Both were rebounding forces during their Bulls tenures, so let's do both. Oakley, added in a draft pick swap from Cleveland for Keith Lee in 1985, had a double-double average in two of his three Chicago seasons, and finished second for the rebounding title in 1988 to Michael Cage in the closest margin to decide that title ever (a mere .03 margin). Rodman won the rebounding title in all three of his Chicago seasons, and despite being flaky, added three NBA titles to go with the two he won in Detroit.

Coaches:

Head Coach: Phil Jackson: Jackson seemed an unlikely candidate to even become an NBA coach as a player with the Knicks in the 70s. But he succeded Doug Collins as coach in 1989, and immediately set a rookie coaches record (since broken by Larry Bird) with 55 wins and led Chicago to the Eastern finals. The next year, they won 61 games and their first NBA title. Jackson became the first (and only) coach to have two instances (he would later add a third) of three straight titles, and by the time he left Chicago in 1998, they had won 6 NBA titles and 545 regular season wins.

Assistants: Richard Motta, Doug Collins: Motta took over the team in 1968, and within three years, the Bulls had their first winning record (51-31). The Bulls won 50 or more games four straight years (1971-74) and made the playoffs six straight times, with a trip to the 1974 Western finals. Collins coached the team from 1986-89, with winning records in two of those three years, and coached Chicago to an unlikely berth in the 1989 Eastern finals, before being replaced by Jackson after the run ended.

Honorable Mentions:

C; Nate Thurmond: Did help team to 1974 conference finals, but he is more of a Warriors legend than a Bulls legend.

SG: George Gervin: Like Thurmond, Gervin is a Spurs legend, and the way he went out in Chicago was sad.

PG: Ron Harper: Scrappy PG and a friend of Jordan, but I felt Paxson had more of a hand in the first run than Harper did in the second run.

C: Luc Longley: Does it matter if it's Longley or Cartwright? Interchange if you must.

SF: Orlando Woolridge: Think the Alvin Robertson theory of my last list; Woolridge's best Chicago years were not good for the team, so it diminishes them a bit.

PG: Guy Rodgers: Led league in assists in 1967 as a Bull, but that was his only full Bulls season.

PF Elton Brand: Only played two years in Chicago, and became better known as a Clipper.

Any current Bull: Let's see if they play more consistently before they get on this list.

That's the Bulls. Tomorrow, team #9, the Hawks, will be revealed. Until then, may the bad free-stylers put their "stuff" on a different blog page!

Last night, we saw the crowning of a new Western Conference champion. Tonight, the other half of that equation could occur as the Celtics gun for their 20th Eastern Conference title in Detroit. Seeing the dissention in the ranks of the Pistons (Richard Hamilton and Lindsey Hunter weren't happy with Rasheed Wallace embracing Kevin Garnett; I think they're making too much of it) plus their injury woes (now both their starting guards are hurt) makes me worry about their chances to win tonight. Here are some keys:

Celtics keys:

1. Make use of your bench a little more: The Celts bench scored just three points in game 5 (on a James Posey 3). Observe how the Lakers were able to come back against the Spurs even though Kobe, Gasol and Odom were on the bench in the 2nd, Doc. You won't win if the starters are too damn tired to run the offense.

2. Continue to pound the glass: I don't expect Kendrick Perkins to repeat his awesome game 5 performance (18 points and 16 boards), but if he, Garnett, and the rest can maintain the rebounding edge, they'll be in good shape.

3. May this Ray Allen stay, and may the real Paul Pierce step up: Allen needs to continue the reemergence he had the prior game, and Pierce needs to score and pass, not just set up the offense. Garnett will probably get his points, but Pierce and Allen need to, too.

Pistons keys:

1. Play possessed: Tonight is not the night for the complacent Pistons to show up. They need fire (controlled fire, Rasheed!), and to play as though their lives depend on it (their legacy certainly does).

2. Keep McDyess out of foul trouble, and get Prince involved more: McDyess fouled out of the last game, and without his steady presence and reliable shot, they struggled. Prince has been a nonfactor this series, and if he doesn't show life, they're in trouble.

3. Stop bickering, guys!: This issue with Rasheed and Garnett shows some real holes in this team. Hamilton and Hunter should have kept this in-house! Anyhow, if they're still angry at each other, they'll lose for sure.

I predict that they won't be angry, and that this series goes 7. Pistons win by 9.

Meanwhile, Doug Collins appears to be returning to the Bulls bench after being replaced 20 years ago by Phil Jackson. Many might question such a move. I decided to take a look at teams who have rehired a coach after a firing/resignation. Here's the rundown of the coaches, their W-L record in the first run, and then the W-L of their second run:

Dallas: Richard Motta (267-297 from 1980-87, 4 winning seasons, 4 playoff berths; 62-102 from 1994-96, 0 winning seasons, 0 playoff berths)

Denver: Dan Issel (96-102 in parts of three years from 1992-94, 1 winning season, 1 playoff berth; 84-106 in parts of three years from 1999-2001, 0 winning seasons, 0 playoff berths)

Golden State: Don Nelson (275-260 in parts of 7 seasons from 1988-95, four winning season, 4 playoffr berths; 90-76 in two seasons from 2006-present, two winning seasons, one playoff berth)-*

L.A. Clippers: Gene Shue (78-86 in two seasons from 1978-80, one winning season, zero playoff berths; 27-93 in parts of two seasons from 1987-89, zero and zero)

L.A. Lakers: Phil Jackson (286-123 in five seasons from 1999-2004, five winning seasons, five playoff berths, three titles; 144-102 in three seasons from 2005-present, three winning seasons, three playoff berths, titles TBD)-*

Miami: Pat Riley (334-264 in 8 seasons from 1995-2003, six winning seasons, six playoff berths; 111-135 in parts of three season from 2005-08, two winning seasons, two playoff berths, one title)-x

New York: Red Holzman (388-231 in parts of 10 seasons from 1967-77, six winning seasons, nine playoff berths, two titles; 147-167 in parts of four seasons from 1978-82, one winning season, one playoff berth, zero titles)

Orlando: Brian Hill (191-104 in parts of four seasons from 1993-97, three winning seasons, three playoff berths; 112-134 in three seasons from 2004-07, zero winning seasons, one playoff berth)

Philadelphia: Alex Hannum (127-112 in three seasons from 1960-63, three winning seasons, three playoff berths; 130-33 in two seasons from 1966-68, two winning seasons, two playoff berths, one title)

Phoenix: Cotton Fitzsimmons (97-67 in two seasons from 1970-72, two winning seasons, zero playoff berths; 244-161 in parts of six seasons from 1988-97, four winning seasons, five playoff berths)-y

Sacramento: Phil Johnson (155-185 in parts of five seasons from 1974-78, one winning season, one playoff berth; 81-120 in parts of three seasons from 1985-87, zero winning seasons, one playoff berth)

Seattle: Lenny Wilkens (121-125 from 1969-72, one winning season, zero playoff berths; 357-277 in parts of 8 seasons from 1977-85, five winning seasons, six playoff berths, one title)

Washington: Gene Shue (291-267 in parts of seven seasons from 1967-73, four winning seasons, five playoff berths; 231-248 in parts of six seasons from 1980-86, two winning seasons, three playoff berths)

Notations: *= still active, x- the records given for Riley's second tenure were the complete team records during the span; his partial season records were hard to obtain, y= Fitzsimmons' second tenure was from 1988-92 and 1996-97; his stints were lumped together for the complete total seen.

So, what can we derive from that? (1) Only Jackson, Nelson, Riley, Wilkens, Hannum and Fizsimmons had much success during their second go-round, and (2) Gene Shue was really popular with teams.

What will Collins do in Chicago (assuming he takes the job)? He's known as a good short-term winner, but not the coach of a title contender. I see him much like Rick Carlisle in Detroit; he'll make the Bulls a good team, then turn it over to a legit championship-caliber coach, and return to TNT.  That's all I can say. What do you think?

Here we are! This is the final list in the series of the fifty greatest NBA teams (according to me). These teams are the cream of the crop, the ones that few could have stopped (even today, Robert Horry!). Without futher delay, here are the top ten teams in NBA history:

10. 1969-70 New York Knicks: The Knicks were among the original BAA teams in 1946 (only the Celtics and Warriors remain from that group), and were early contenders. They reached the NBA Finals three straight years from 1951-53. Then they hit a rough patch throughout the late 50s into the 60s.

The team started to emerge from the depths through solid drafting (including Willis Reed, Bill Bradley and Walt Frazier), and made the playoffs in 1967 for the first time in eight years. The next season, they added Dave DeBusschere in a trade with Detroit. By 1970, with Bill Russell retired, the Knicks were ready to assume command in the East.

The Knicks roared out of the gates (including an 18 game win streak) and rolled to the Eastern Division title. Reed's all-around game won him regular season MVP honors. In the playoffs, they survived a tough seven games series with the Bullets, then beat the Bucks 4-1 (including a 36 beatdown in the clincher) to advance to the Finals against the Lakers.

The series' key matchup, of course, was Reed against Wilt Chamberlain. Reed held his ground as the teams traded victories in the first four games. Then, in game 5, Reed tore a muscle in his leg. Using undersized Nate Bowman, the Knicks scrambled to win the game 107-100, but without Reed in game six, Chamberlain scored 45 points to force a game 7 at Madison Square Garden.

Speculation ran rampant about Reed's availability. Before hitting the court, DeBusschere told Reed "We only need you for a few minutes, big fella". Reed limped out onto the court right before the end of warmups. "And the crowd is going wild" Knicks announcer Marv Albert said.

Reed went on to hit the first two shots of the game, and i####ame ever was over at 4-0, this was it. Though Reed didn't score again, the rest of the Knicks (led by Frazier's 36 points and 19 assists) picked up the slack, and New York clobbered L.A. 113-99. Reed was named MVP, making him the first player to win all three MVPs (regular season, All-Star and Finals) in one season, and in victory, New York was firmly in the NBA's camp.

9. 1984-85 Los Angeles Lakers: The Laker's history in the Finals against Boston was nothing short of abysmal. They had faced the Celtics in eight Finals, but had lost them all. The prior season (1983-84) may have been the most heartbreaking, as they made critical mistakes and lost the series in seven games. The person many people blamed was Magic Johnson, who made many key errors in the series. The Lakers set out in 1985 to prove they could win under pressure.

The Lakers rode their intensity to 62 wins and the best record in the West. Once in the playoffs, they dominated, sweeping Phoenix 3-0, trouncing Portland 4-1, and romping over Denver 4-1 to reach the Finals for the fourth straight year. There, they got their rematch with Boston, who had beaten Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia.

The Lakers' determination didn't seem evident in game one, as Boston smoked them 148-114 in "the Memorial Day Masscre". Kareem Abdul-Jabbar looked every one of his 38 years, and Scott Wedman and Danny Ainge had big games. After the game, the Lakers decided to show their physical side in game two, and they played the Celts the same way Boston had in 1984, leading the Celtics to complain about the rough stuff. L.A won the game, then pasted Boston 136-111 to take a 2-1 lead. Boston managed to steal game 4 when Dennis Johnson scored the game-winner with no time on the clock, but L.A. rolled in game five.

Still, history didn't side with the Lakers. No team had beaten the Celtics for the title since 1958, and never had it been done in Boston Garden. The Lakers needed another great game from Kareem, who had been the main player after his game 1 struggles. He delivered, scoring 29 points. Magic had a triple-double, and the Lakers won game six 111-100, ended their torture against the C's. Indeed, the jubilation was out in not only the Laker locker room, but for every former Laker watching that day. Kareem won Finals MVP.

8. 1991-92 Chicago Bulls: The Bulls had shaken the #### off their backs with their title run the previous year, but when had Michael Jordan been content before? The Bulls roared out of the gates early in the season, as Jordan trusted his teammates more than ever before. Though he won his sixth straight scoring title, his 30.1 average was his lowest since 1986. With Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant emerging as big time players, the Bulls flirted with 70 wins before finishing 67-15. Jordan won his second straight MVP (and third for career).

In the playoffs, the Bulls scorched the Miami Heat 3-0 (pun intended), before facing the Knicks in round 2. New York's physical brand of play stretched Chicago to seven games, but the Bulls prevailed in a 110-81 rout in game 7. After dispatching Cleveland 4-2, the Bulls prepared for the Portland Trail Blazers, and a matchup of elite SGs: Jordan and Clyde Drexler.

The Bulls stomped the Blazers in game one, as Jordan set Finals records with 35 1st half points and (since broken) six 3-pointers. The teams traded victories through the first five games, which set up Chicago with a chance to win in Chicago Stadium in game six. But when Portland took a 79-64 lead after three, most felt game seven would be upon us.

That's when coach Phil Jackson made a crazy lineup move; he had Pippen play with reserves B.J. Armstrong, Bobby Hansen, Scott Williams and Stacey King. This mismatched lineup somehow managed to cut the lead to 81-78 (with Hansen getting a steal, assist and a 3-pointer). Jordan returned, and he and Pippen scored the last 19 Bulls points to win the game 97-93. Jordan was Finals MVP for the second straight time.

7. 1960-61 Boston Celtics: This Celtics team is here because their team photo reads like a HOF dinner lineup. Including management, nine members of this team were inducted into the Basketball HOF (owner Walter Brown, coach Red Auerbach, and players Bill Russell, Sam Jones, Bob Cousy, Bill Sharman, K.C. Jones, Tom Heinsohn and Frank Ramsey). This Celtics team did their usual during the season, winning 57 games out of 79 and finishing with the best record in the league. Russell won the first (of five) MVP of his career.

In the Eastern Division Finals against Syracuse, the C's had little trouble, beating the Nats 4-1. That set up a Finals against the St. Louis Hawks, who had been extended to seven by the new Los Angeles Lakers. The Hawks and Celtics had met in three previous, hard-fought Finals, but this one wouldn't be as hard-fought. Boston won 4-1, with the closest game being a 4-point Hawks win in game 3. The Celtics thus secured their thrid straight title.

6. 1971-71 Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers had to be feeling the pressure to win a title in 1972. The team had made seven NBA Finals since moving to L.A. in 1960, but had yet to win a title. Many wondered if their chances were over after Elgin Baylor retired nine games into the season.

Instead, new coach Bill Sharman (fresh off leading the Utah Stars to the ABA title) decided to incorporate the role players to aid his aging core of Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain. Harold 'Happy' Hairston became the first player to grab 1,000 alongside Chamberlain (who led the league in that catgeory at 19.2 PG), and Gail Goodrich and Wets were among the league leaders in scoring.

The Lakers' defining moment was their league-record 33 game win streak, which began November 5th (over Baltimore) and didn't end until January 9 (against the Bucks). That streak propelled the Lakers to a then-league record of 69 wins, but many still wondered if fate would rear its ugly head.

The Lakers stormed past Chicago in a four game sweep, then met perhaps their greatest threat; Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the Bucks. With Chamberlain holding Kareem in check, the Lakers beat the defending champs 4-2 to make the Finals, and get a 1970 rematch, against the Knicks.

Without Willis Reed, however, to go head-to-head with Chamberlain, New York didn't stand a chance. L.A. won the series 4-1, winning the last four after losing game 1. Chamberlain was name Finals MVP, and L.A. had finally added a title to the five they had from Minneapolis.

5. 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers: The Sixers, and in particular Wilt Chamberlain, had been frustrated by recnt failures against Boston. The Celtics had ended their seasons each of the prior two years, and whispers began to pop up that Chamberlain was too mych of a ball hog to lead a team to a championship.

Philadelphia began by hiring Alex Hannum as coach. Hannum was one of the few coaches Chamberlain trusted, and Hannum convinced Wilt to share the ball more and play an all-around game. Chamberlain responded. Although he lost the scoring title for the first time in his career, he led the league in rebounds (24.2 PG), and was third in scoring (24.1) and assists (7.8) as the Sixers went 68-13 to set a new record for wins. Chamberlain won his second straight MVP.

After rolling over Cincinnati 3-1, the Sixers faced the Celtics for the Eastern Division title. This time, there was no luck of the Irish, as Philly stomped Boston 4-1 to end the C's legendary run of eight straight titles. With the #### off their backs, the Sixers faced Chamberlain's old team, the San Francisco Warriors, in the Finals. But even with Nate Thurmond and league leading scorer (rookie Rick Barry), the Warriors couldn't stop Philly, who won the series 4-2 to claim their first title since the Nats won in 1955.

4. 1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers: After acquring Julius Erving in 1976, Philly fans expected Erving to deliver them a title. But without elite big guys to defend the C's they faced in the Finals (Bill Walton in 1977, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1980 & 82), the Sixers had gone down in every Finals they made. It was obvious they needed a dominant big man to get them over the top.

In the 1982 offseason, they had their chance to make such a move, as reigning MVP Moses Malone had become a FA from Houston. The Sixers signed Malone (giving up Caldwell Jones and a 1st round pick to the Rockets as compensation). With Malone leading the league in rebounds (15.3 PG) and finishing fifth in scoring (24.5), the Sixers went 65-17 and had the league's best record. Malone repeated as MVP.

Before the playoffs began, when reporters asked Malone how the Sixers would fare in the postseason, Malone uttered one of the greatest quotes in sports history: "Fo,fo,fo", meaning that the Sixers would sweep right through the playoffs.

They almost did. The Sixers wiped out New York 4-0, then came within a game 4 loss to Milwaukee of doing it again. In the Finals, aided by an injry-ravaged Lakers opponent (James Worthy was out all playoffs, Norm Nixon and Bob McAdoo were hobbled at best), the Sixers swept L.A. for their first title since 1967. Malone was Finals MVP, and Erving finally had an NBA title to go with the two he won in the ABA. While the Sixers fell off a little after that, there's no denying the 1983 was one of the greatest in NBA history.

3. 1985-86 Boston Celtics: The Celtics had just lost the Finals in 1985, their first Finals loss in 27 years and the first ever at home. When team execs met after the season, they realized changes were needed to keep up with the Lakers and win another title.

The team made major moves to improve their depth, adding Bill Walton from the Clippers for Cedric Maxwell and a 1st round pick (they completed the deal after Clips owner Donald Sterling left for Europe because Sterling resisted making the deal!), and acquiring Jerry Sichting from Indiana in exchange for playing an exibition game in Indy. With those players and Scott Wedman providing relief, Boston rolled.

Larry Bird enjoyed the reinforcements, and had one of the most impressive seasons in NBA history; he finished in the top ten in five different categories (points, fourth at 25.8; rebounds, seventh at 9.8; steals, ninth; FT%, 1st and 3-point%, fourth). The C's finished 67-15 and had the league's best record. This included an unbelievable 40-1 home record (only Portland won at Boston Garden that year).

In the playoffs, they dominated, barely breaking a sweat as they beat Chicago (3-0) even though Michael Jordan scored 63 in game 2, Atlanta (4-1) and Milwaukee (4-0) to make the Finals for the fourth staright year. But instead of the Lakers, they faced the Houston Rockets, who had upset the Lakers 4-1 in the Western finals.

The Celtics managed to manuever around the Rockets' Twin Towers of Ralph Sampson and Hakeem Olajuwon, The Celtics won the series 4-2, winning all three games in Boston, and captured their 16th title.

2. 2000-01 Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers had returned to the top in 2000, winning their first title in 12 years. There were minor offseason changes (trading Glen Rice to New York in a three way trade that brought them Horace Grant and Seattle Patrick Ewing) but nothing severe. However, the Lakers seemed to coast until April, then caught fire to finish the season 56-26 and second in the West.

Little did anyone realize how much the switch was flipped. The Lakers proceeded to make the greatest playoff run in NBA history. In the first round, they whipped Portland 3-0, as the Blazers imploded. After sweeping Sacramento 4-0, the Lakers faced the Spurs, owners of the league's best record at 58-24. But Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant each alternated great games, and Tim Duncan and David Robinson had no counter. L.A. swept another series, becoming the first team since the 1989 Lakers to enter a Finals (against Philadelphia) undefeated.

In game one, the Sixers rode an incredible performance from Allen Iverson (43 points) to stun L.A. 107-101 in OT to end their undefeated run. it was all the inspiration L.A. needed. The Lakers won the next four games to claim their second straight title. O'Neal copped his second straight Finals MVP, and the Lakers' 15-1 playoff record was the best in NBA history (surpassing the 1983 Sixers mark of 12-1).

And now, here's #1:

1. 1995-96 Chicago Bulls: There are arguments about this team's place in history, coming as it did in a league with 29 teams. I always say, you beat whoever's in front of you. And no team ever did that more than the 1996 Bulls. The Bulls had had a disappointing run in 1995, when a rusty Michael Jordan made key mistakes as the Bulls lost in the second round 4-2 to Orlando. Jordan was determined to return with a vengence, and management readied themselves for a run by trading for Dennis Rodman from San Antonio (for Will Perdue).

The Bulls proceeded to make mince meat of their regular season opponents, as they steamrolled to a league-record best 72-10 record. Jordan reclaimed the scoring title (30.4 PG, winning his record eigth such title) and was named MVP of the league for the fourth time. Rodman led the league in boards (14.9) for the fifth straight time, and Jordan, Rodman and Scottie Pippen were 1st Team All-NBA Defense.

In the playoffs, the hits kept on coming. The Bulls swept Miami 3-0, stomped the Knicks 4-1, and dominated Orlando (in a revenge series) 4-0 in what was Shaquille O'Neal last series on the team. That set up a Finals showdown with the Supersonics, and a most difficult challenge for Defensive POY Gary Payton in defending Jordan.

The Bulls rolled to a 3-0 lead, and people were having 'greatest ever' discussions. The Sonics won two straight in Seattle, but the Bulls put any mniracle thoughts to bed by winning game six 87-75 for their fourth title in six years. Jordan won Finals MVP for the fourth time, and was the first player since Willis Reed in 1970 to win all three MVPs (regular season, All-Star, and Finals) in one year. The Bulls 87-13 record (including playoffs) ws an all-time record.

That's it for the series. I hope it was as much fun looking back as it was for me. Any teams up here that you think are overrated? Or any team not here that should be? Just let me know; this isn't a "I know I'm right" list, after all.

Let's continue the countdown of the fifty greatest NBA teams of all time (according to me). Here are the teams that just missed the top ten, teams 20-11:

20. 1999-2000 Los Angeles Lakers: This could get me in some trouble, but the Lakers of 2000 were inconsistent at playoff time, and that hurt them to a degree. Still, there's no denying the Lakers of the late 90s were loaded with talent, but even after adding Shaquille O'Neal as a FA and trading for the draft rights to Kobe Bryant, they couldn't get over the hump. They had been swept in each of the two previous playoffs, and change at coach was needed.

The franchise made a bold, but necessary, move to hire former Bulls coach Phil Jackson, who had won six championships during his tenure. Almost immediately, he decreed that Shaq would be the focus of the offense. "The ball's going into Shaq" said Jackson, "and he's going to have responsibility to distribute the ball". In other words, Shaq would have to lead the team.

Though Bryant missed the first 15 games with an injury, the Lakers didn't miss him too badly, and when he returned, they rolled, as Shaq enjoyed a career season. He finished leading the league in scoring, second in rebounds and third in blocks as the Lakers rolled to a 67-15 record. The highlight of O'Neal season occured March 6th (his birthday) when he scored 61 points against the Clippers. He was also named league MVP.

The Lakers, however, had trouble with the Kings in the first round, as they won the series in five games (marking the first time a Jackson-coached team went the distance in that round). After knocking out Phoenix 4-1, the Lakers met the Blazers, a meeting that seemed destined to happen all season.

L.A. took a 3-1 lead, but Portland responded with two convincing victories, setting up game seven. The Blazers seemed ready to coast after taking a 15-point lead early in the 4th, but L.A. showed the fotitude that had been lacking in prior years. They came back to win 89-84, with a Bryant-to-Shaq alley-oop becoming a defining moment.

The Lakers advanced to play the Pacers, making their first NBA Finals appearence. The Lakers won the first two, then lost at Indy in game 3. Game four saw Shaq foul out in OT, and the Pacers smelled blood. That's when Kobe took over and almost single-handedly win that game. The Lakers won the series in six, with Shaq winning MVP honors.

19. 1988-89 Detroit Pistons: The Pistons certainly didn't begin the 1980s in grand fashion; they ended the 1979-80 season with a league-worst 16-66 record, and had fired (D)ick Vitale early that year. Years later, Vitale claimed he started the ball rolling with that team by convincing owner Bill Davidson to hire more astute basketball minds.

Davidson hired Jack McCloskey as GM, and the pieces started falling into place. Through solid drafting (Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Dennis Rodman, etc.), trades (Bill Laimbeer from Cleveland) and hirings (Chuck Daly in 1983) the team became a contender. They pushed Boston to seven games in the 1987 Eastern Finals, and the Lakers to 7 in the Finals in 1988. By 1989, the Bad Boys were ready to ascend to the throne.

The Pistons started the season very well, but something seemed to be missing. Three days after the All-Star break, the team surprised many by trading Adrian Dantley to Dallas for Mark Aguirre (conspiracy theorists claimed the move was made because Thomas didn't like Dantley, and he and Aguirre were close friends). Despite the surprise, the Pistons marched to a league-best 63-19 record.

They rolled through the first two rounds, beating a Larry Bird-less Celtics (3-0) and Milwaukee (4-0) before facing the Cinderella Bulls, who finished 6th in the East but had upset Cleveland and New York. The Bulls pulled another surprise by winning game 1 at the Palace. The Pistons repsonded with a hard-fought win in game 2, but after Jordan hit a game-winned over Rodman in game 3, it seemed destiny was on the Bulls' sides. The Pistons would have none of it, however, and won three straight to take the series.

The Finals were a rematch of 1988; the Lakers came into the Finals with an unblemished record (11-0) and were trying to send Kareem Abdul-Jabbar into retirement with three straight titles. The Lakers would be undone, however, by their guards' hamstrings; Byron Scott tore his prior to game 1 (in pratcice); then Magic Johnson tore his in game 2.

Without their backcourt duo, the Lakers couldn't stop the Pistons' trio of Thomas, Dumars and Vinnie Johnson, and the Bad Boys swept the Lakers 4-0 to claim the franchises' first title. Dumars was named MVP.

18. 1964-65 Boston Celtics: Some things are hard to break. The Celtics had won six straight titles, and Wilt Chamberlain had won five straight scoring titles. The league tried to curb this dominance by widening the foul lane (from 12 to 16 feet). The results were the same; Chamberlain won another scoring title, and Boston won another title.

Bill Russell led the league in rebounds for the fourth time (24.1 per game) and added his fifth (and final) MVP of his career. The Celtics broke their own league record by winning 62 games during the season. But a major challenge was put in front of them when the 76ers acquired Chamberlain from the Warriors, meaning that he would have to be dealt with before the Finals.

The Sixers won their series with Cincinnati, setting up a Celtics-Sixers division final. The teams exchanged victories through the first six games, and Boston hung on by one in game seven, when Russell turned the ball over with two seconds left under the Philly basket. He pleaded for help during a timeout, and got it when John Havlicek stoled the inbound pass and Boston ran out the clock (Havlicek stole the ball!!!!!). The Finals seemed anticlimatic by comparison, as Boston beat the Lakers 4-1 for their seventh straight title.

17. 1990-91 Chicago Bulls: The Bulls had become regulars in the disappointment column. They had made two straight conference finals, but both times were sent home by the more physical Detroit Pistons. Critics wondered if Michael Jordan could lead his team to a title, feeling he demanded the ball so much, he kept his teammates from contributing.

The 1991 season saw a change in the Bulls that was key to their development. Jordan trusted his team more than in the past, and aided by a breakout year by Scottie Pippen (18 PPG, 7 RPG, 6 APG), the Bulls won 61-21 and won their first Central Division title. Jordan won his fifth straight scoring title (31 PPG), was third in steals, and won his second MVP.

The playoffs saw just how far Chicago had come. The Bulls crushed the Knicks in the first round 3-0 (including a 41 point blowout in game one), then beat Philadelphia 4-1, to get the only matchup they really wanted; another conference final with the Pistons. This time, there was no fear of the Bad Boys; the Bulls hammered the Pistons in a four game sweep, and showed some true colors when Isiah Thomas and several other Pistons walked out before the end of the clincher.

That set up a Finals against the Lakers, and a dream matchup for NBC's first broadcast of the Finals; Jordan and Magic Johnson. The Bulls were the underdogs in this matchup because the Lakers had nine Finals appearences (and five titles) during the prior 12 years, whereas Chicago had little experience.

Game one went to L.A. 93-91 after Sam Perkins hit a late three. The Bulls pounded the Lakers in game two, but the next three games were at the Forum, and many wondered how Chicago could win even two out of three. The Bulls showed otherwise; they won game 3 in OT, harassed the Lakers into 37% shooting in game four, and John Paxson scored 10 of his 20 in the waning minutes of the clincher, as Chicago won all three in the Forum and their first NBA title. Jordan was the Finals MVP after averaging 31.2 PPG, 6.6 RPG and 11.4 APG. So, a scoring champ can't lead a title team, huh?

16. 1974-75 Golden State Warriors: The Warriors had been a mid-level playoff team throughout the late 60s and early 70s. With Rick Barry leading the way, they had qualified for the playoffs in six of the prior eight seasons. After missing in 1974, the Warriors made a unheralded, but key, move by trading future HOFer Nate Thurmond to Chicago for Clifford Ray. The Warriors went on to finish 48-34 and with the best record in the West.

In the playoffs, the Warriors beat Seattle 4-2, then faced Thurmond and the Bulls in the Western finals. The teams fought a largely defensive battle, but the Warriors prevailed in seven games. Still, few expected them to compete with the Washington Bullets, who had won 60 games during the season and had eliminated defending champ Boston in the Eastern finals.

However, with Barry, ROY Jamaal Wilkes and superior depth behind them, the Warriors pulled off the biggest upset in Finals history, sweeping the Bullets four straight. Barry was named Finals MVP, and K.C. Jones' rep never recovered when cameras showed he actually deferred coaching of the team to assistant Brenie Bickerstaff.

15. 1965-66 Boston Celtics: How long can Boston keep winning titles? That was the question on everyone's mind as the seven-time defending champs went into the 1966 season. The Sixers, with Wilt Chamberlain on for a full season, beat the C's in the season series 6-4, which proved to be the difference as they won the Eastern Division by a game over them (55-25 to Boston's 54-26), the first time since 1956 that the Celtics lost the division.

That only meant the C's would need more playoffs than usual to get to the Finals. The 1st round matchup with Cincinnati was tough, as the Royals led 2-1 before the Celtics won the last two and the series. Against the Sixers (and league MVP Chamberlain), the C's had little trouble, beating the rusty Sixers 4-1.

That set up another Finals against the Lakers for the sixth time. L.A. won game one at the Garden in OT, when Auerbach (who had annonced early in the postseason he was reitiring as coach) annonced Bill Russell would suceed him as coach (making Russell the first black head coach of the modern era). The Celts won three straight games and ultimately won the series in seven games. The victory marked their eighth straight title, a record that's highly unlikely to be matched.

14. 1983-84 Boston Celtics: The Celtics had come off a tumultous 1983 season that saw Larry Bird and Kevin McHale feud with coach Bill Fitch, and ended with the teams' first playoff sweeping (by the Bucks 4-0). Fitch resigned shortly thereafter to take the Houston job, and management replaced him with K.C. Jones to bring a more relaxed atmosphere.

The Celtics didn't stand pat on their roster, either; McHale was resigned, and the team acquired Dennis Johnson from Phoenix for Rick Robey. The C's were poised to reutrn to the Finals after a three year absence.

Bird enjoyed a great year, finishing seventh in scoring and winning his first MVP. The C's won 62 games to finish with the best record in the league. They beat the Bullets 3-1 in the first playoff to feature 16 teams, then outlasted New York in seven (each team won at home), and avenging their loss to the Bucks with a five-game ouster in the conference finals (in Bob Lanier's last series).

That set up the ultimate Finals matchup; against the Lakers, allowing the rivalry between Bird and Magic Johnson to be seen on the national stage. The Lakers had never beaten the Celtics in seven previous tries, and were determined to end that in this series.

Game one went to L.A.as their fast break overwhlemed the C's. They looked poised to take game 2, but Gerald Henderson stole a James Worhty pass and scored to force OT. There, Scott Wedman hit the game winner. Still, L.A didn't seem worried, and after pasting Boston 137-104, the experts felt L.A. had it in the bag. Bird then lashed out in the media, saying he and his team "played like women" and basically called them (and himself) sissys. That set the physical tone for game 4, as McHale clothslined Kurt Rambis on an attempted layup, and Bird and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar jawed it up. The C's forced OT after Johnson missed two cirtical free throws, then won in OT when M.L. Carr stole an inbound pass and dunked to put the game away.

Game 5 went to Boston 121-103 in a blazing hot Boston Garden (the temp at courtside was 97 degrees at tipoff), but Bird thrived, scoring 34 points and saying afterwards "Aw hell, it was hotter playing in French Lick!". The Lakers won gaem six, but couldn't stop the Celtics in game seven, as Cedric Maxwell had one of his last great games in Boston, with 24 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. The C's won 111-102 to run their record to 8-0 against L.A. in the Finals.

13. 1976-77 Portland Trail Blazers: The Blazers had been created in the NBA's expansion in 1970, and though the team ahd good players like Geoff Petrie and Sidney WIcks, had not made the playoffs in their first six season. Bill Walton, who had much promise after being taken #1 in 1974, had been plagued by injuries. Two major moves made a big difference in 1977.

First, the team hired Buffalo coach Jack Ramsey as coach. Ramsay and Walton shared a common basketball synergy, and it showed on the court. Then, in the ABA dispersal draft, they nabbed Maurice Lucas. Lucas would lead the team in scoring and become the enforcer Walton needed to succeed. The Blazers won 49 and finished second to the Lakers in the Pacific.

In their opening round series with Chicago, the Blazers survived a scare when, in the deciding game three, the Bulls turned the ball over under their basket, giving the Blazers a 106-98 win. They disposed of the Nuggets 4-2, then swept the Lakers in four to reach the Finals.

The Blazers were heavy underdogs against the 76ers, who had acquired Julius Erving from the Nets before the season and who had stars galore. Philly won the first two games convincingly, and many expected a sweep. The Blazers came back with two blowout wins at home, and the Sixers never recovered, as Portland won the series 4-2. Walton had a magnificent series and was named Finals MVP. It was Portlan's only NBA title.

12. 1986-87 Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers seemed to need a fire lit under them to excel in the 1980s. In 1986, they had become complacent, and had been stunned by Houston in the Western Finals. After that series, Pat Riley abandoned his big bruiser concept of the season (jettisoning Maurice Lucas and pushing Mitch Kupchak into retirement), and went back to the Showtime premise. Most important, he made Magic Johnson the focal point of the offense.

Johnson had one of his best all-around season, finishing tenth in scoring (a career high 23.9 PG) and leading the league in assists (12.2 PG) to win his first MVP award. The Lakers finished with a 65-17 record, the best in the league.

In the playoffs, they were the only top four seed out West to reach the second round, beating Denver 3-0 in round 1. They dispatched Golden State 4-1, then swept Seattle 4-0 to make the Finals and face the defending champion Celtics.

The Lakers' fast break blew away the C's in the first two games, then Boston responded with a huge win in game 3. Game 4 was a classic; the Celtics led big early, then the Lakers took a one point lead. Larry Bird sank a three to give Boston the lead, then Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was fouled. He split the free throws, and the second went out of bounds off the C's. Magic took the inbound, made a mini-skyhook over Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale, and after Bird missed a three, L.A. won 107-106. The Lakers won the series 4-2, and Magic won his third Finals MVP.

11. 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks: The Bucks took the fast track to an early NBA title. As an expansion team in 1968-69, they won only 27 games. Then, in that year's draft, they won a coin flip to draft #1, and selected Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). Alcindor made an immediate impact on the Bucks, as they won 56 games and reached the Eastern Division finals. In 1971, under the new four division format, the Bucks were only a few people away from real contension.

Milwaukee's management soon surrounded Kareem with good talent, acquiring former UCLA teammate Lucius Allen and high scoring Bob Boozer. But the major acquisition was obtaning Oscar Robertson from the Royals (where he had a dispute with coach Bob Cousy). With Robertson finishing third in assists (8.3 PG) and Kareem winning his first scoring title (31.7 PG) and first MVP award, the Bucks went 66-16 to claim the Midwest divison and top seed in the West.

In the playoffs, they beat the San Francisco Warriors (in their last season before moving to Oakland) 4-1, then beat the Lakers 4-1 to reach the Finals. There, they faced the Baltimore Bullets, who ahd stunned the defending champion Knicks by winning game seven at Madison Square Garden. But with Wes Unseld injured prior to the series, and Earl Monroe and Gus Johnson getting hurt during the series, the Bucks swept the Bullets 4-0 for their only NBA title. Kareem was named Finals MVP (a feat he would not repeat until 1985).

There's #20-11. Tomorrow is the big one; I'll reveal the top ten greatest teams in NBA history. See ya then!

Here is the third of the five lists of the fifty greatest NBA teams (according to me). Without futher ado, let's see 30-21:

30. 1993-94 Houston Rockets: I know Hoffman thought the 1995 Rockets may have been underated, but I feel the 1994 version was a little bit better. The backstory for this team began (oddly enough) in 1986. That year, Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson led the Rockets to the Finals (stunning heavily favored L.A. in the Western Finals) and the future seemed very bright. Then, Sampson got hurt (and was eventually traded) and the Rockets became a mid-level playoff team.

The turning point came early in the 1991-92 season, when Houston fired Don Chaney (who I feel isn't a great coach) and replaced him with assistant Rudy Tomjanovich. The 1992-93 Rockets won the Midwest with 55 wins, and it was a prelude to the 1994 season, as Olajuwon won the MVP trophy (the first Rocket to do so since Moses Malone in 1982) and led the team to a 22-1 start en route to 58 wins.

After beating Portland in four, the Phoenix Suns won the first two games at Houston in the second round. The Rockets lashed back with two wins in Phoenix, and eventually disposed of them in seven. After toasting Utah 4-1, the Rockets met the New York Knicks, in a matchup of two of the best centers at the time: Olajuwon and Patrick Ewing.

The series was primarily a defensive struggle; for the first time since the shot clock was used, neither team scored 100 points in any game. Houston won the first at home, dropped game two, then won at Madison Square Garden when rookie Sam Cassell had a big 4th quarter. The Knicks took the next two at home, and were poised to win their first title since 1973.

In game six, John Starks had a magnificent 4th that nearly gave New York the title, but his last shot was deflected by Olajuwon, and Houston won 86-84. In game 7, Starks had an abysmal 2-18 night (0-10 from three) as Houston won 90-84. Olajuwon won Finals MVP, and had fulfilled the promise of 1986.

29. 1953-54 Minneapolis Lakers: The Lakers of the 1950s were the NBA's greatest early team. They had won the NBL title in 1948, and then moved to the BAA/NBA and dominated, taking four titles in their first five years. In 1954, the Lakers set out to become the league's first "three-peat" team.

While George Mikan was clearly on the downside of a brilliant career, he still finished 4th in scoring and second in rebounds (18.1 PPG and 14.3 RPG). His presence still made an impact in the playoffs, which for the first (and only) time was a round robin format.

The Lakers went 3-0 against the Rochester Royals (now the Kings) and the Fort Wayne Pistons, causing the last game of the round robin to be cancelled because they had already clinched. In their division final against the Royals, they won 2-1 to face the Syracuse Nationals in the Finals.

The Nats fought bravely, forcing a seventh game, but the Lakers hung on to win game seven 87-80 to complete the first three-peat. Shortly thereafter, Mikan retired, and the dynasty was over.

28. 1979-80 Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers of the mid-70s were only an above-average team, even after adding superstar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in a trade with Milwaukee in 1975. While Kareem won two MVPs, the Lakers had little to show for it, going to only one conference final (a sweep by Portland in 1977). Then, after acquiring a chance to select #1 after a trade with the Jazz, the Lakers won the coin flip, and selected Earvin "Magic" Johnson.

Johnson's impact emotionally on the stoic Lakers was evident in his first game (a nationally televised game against the Clippers). After Kareem hit a skyhook to win it, Magic nearly choked him in celebrating! The Lakers were in high gear, until coach Jack McKinney suffered an injury in an accident, and was replaced by Paul Wetshead. The early jitters calmed down, and the Lakers didn't skip a beat, winning the Pacific with a 60-22 record. Kareem won his record sixth MVP.

In the playoffs, the Lakers rolled past the Suns 4-1, then stomped the defending champion Sonics 4-1 to advance to the Finals. There, they faced the 76ers, who had stormed past Boston 4-1 to reach their seconf Finals in four years.

The teams exchanged victories through four games, then L.A. won game five at home, but at a tremendous price. Kareem twisted his ankle, and though he came back and finished the game, he was out for game six. Most assumed the Lakers would concede game six and simply wait for game seven to win. But not Magic Johnson. He insisted on starting at center for Kareem. And he got his wish.

Instead of a concession, the Lakers rolled past Philly 123-107 to win the title. Magic eventually played all five positions, and had perhaps his greatest game ever; a playoff-career high 42 points, 15 rebounds and 7 assists, and the performance helped him become Finals MVP, and launched him as a major star in the NBA.

27. 1997-98 Chicago Bulls: I have a feeling that this one may get me in trouble, but hear me out. The 1998 Bulls' season might have been akin to a Beatles tour, as the "Last Season" made them an almost-guaranteed sellout everywhere they went. The Bulls won 62 games and finished tied for the best record in the NBA (Utah won the tiebreaker), and Chicago was ready to finish their run with a thrill, not a whimper. Michael Jordan won his tenth scoring title (28.7 PPG) and his fifth MVP.

The playoffs started out simple enough, with the Nets (3-0) and the Hornets (4-1) falling by the wayside. Then, in perhaps their toughest challenge of their run, the Indiana Pacers extended them to seven games (only the Knicks in 1992 had done that). But with the Pacers unable to get any key rebounds in game seven, Chicago won 88-83 to reach the Finals, and their first rematch, against the Jazz.

The Bulls seemed ready to coast after taking a 3-1 lead (including an embarassing 96-54 win where the Jazz set a record for fewest points in the Finals), but Utah put the coronation on hold by winning game 5. That set up game six, and brought out the conspiracy theorist in me.

The Bulls won 87-86 as Jordan punctuated his career (we thought) with another game-winning shot. But I feel it should never had come to that. There where two bad referee calls (one negating a Howard Eisley three, and calling an after-the-shot-clock-went-off shot by Ron Harper good) that tainted that game for me. Still, it allowed the old gang to end their run in (some) style.

26. 1980-81 Boston Celtics: The Celtics had fallen into a major slump in the 1970s, as bad trades (Bob McAdoo, anyone?) and bad seeds plagued them. Red Auerbach even considered taking the Knicks' GM job. But he stayed, and in 1978, he took Larry Bird #6, even though he knew Bird was going back to college for his senoir year.

While Bird nearly didn't sign with the C's, he instantly made the Celtics legit contenders again. Leading the team to one of the biggest single-season turnarounds in NBA history (from 29 wins to 61) Bird was the ROY. But the C's were bounced by the 76ers in five games, and Auerbach sensed the team needed more reinforcements.

After inquiring about Ralph Sampson's eligibility, the Celtics completed one of the best trades in NBA history, shipping the 1st and 13th picks to the Warriors for the 3rd pick and center Robert Parish. The 3rd pick turned into Kevin McHale. Together with Bird, the league's best frontcourt of the 80s had just been formed.

The Celtics won the Atlantic on tiebreakers with the Sixers, then stomped Chicago in 4 straight to face Philly in the conference finals. The Sixers made the series look like a repeat of 1980, as they took a 3-1 series lead. The Celtics then made a miraculous comeback, and ousted Philly with a 91-90 win in game seven. That set up a Finals against the Rockets, the first team since 1959 to make the Finals with a losing record (and only the third to do so).

The Rockets put up a mild resistence, led by Moses Malone, but the Celtics prevailed in six games. Cedric Maxwell won Finals MVP honors, and the C's run of dominance in the 80s over the East began.

25. 1975 -76 Boston Celtics: The Celtics were in the midst of their dominance of the mid 70s. They had won at least 56 games each of the previous four years, and had a title in 1974. But the team (especially John Havlicek) was getting older, and there were concerns over how long they could keep up the excellence.

The Celtics managed to win 54 games, good enough for the best record in the East. They beat the Buffalo Braves (now the Clippers) 4-2, then beat the miracle Cavaliers 4-2 to reach the Finals. There, they met ultimate underdog Phoenix, who had only a 42-40 regulat season, but had caught fire late in the year and knocked off Seattle and defending champ Golden State to make their first Finals.

The Celtics won the first two at home, and most prognosticators expected a sweep. But Phoenix lashed back with two wins at home, setting up a critical game 5 that will go down as an all-time classic. The Celtics led by 20 early, but Phoenix forced OT with a slow and steady approach. The first OT settled nothing, then the second OT saw Havlicek hit an apparent game-winning shot, but there was still a second left.

Paul Westphal called timeout to take a technical, but advance the ball to midcourt (the rule has since been changed). That's where Gar Heard hit a tying shot to force a third OT. The Celtics won in the third OT behind a great showing from Glenn McDonald (who played only 9 more NBA games after that). The C's wrapped up the title with a 87-80 win in Phoenix in game six.

24. 1956-57 Boston Celtics: The Celtics of the mid 50s enjoyed the more up-tempo game created by the shot clock. Bob Cousy, Bill Sharman, and Ed Macauley were perennial All-Stars. But without a presence on defense, the Celts never got past the conference finals in Red Auerbach's first six years.

In the 1956 draft, Auerbach knew he was taking Tom Heinsohn with a territorial pick, which meant he would not have a first round pick. He had his sights set on San Francisco C Bill Russell, who he felt would instantly improve the defense. So he manuvered with the Hawks and Royals, drafting #1 & 2. He traded Macauley (a St. Louis native) and Cliff Hagan (who played at Kentucky) to the Hawks for their pick, then (according to legend) convinced Rochester to pass on Russell by having owner Walter Brown steer the Ice Capades through Rochester for a few years!

With those picks, the seed for the Boston dynasty were in place. Russell missed the first 24 games to play in the Olympics, but his impact was immediate (he finished 4th in rebounds, but his average led the league), and the Celtics won 44 games and had the best record in the league.

 In the playoffs, Boston dominated the Nationals 3-0 to face those Hawks in the Finals. The series was one of the best in early NBA history. It went the full seven games, and the seventh was a classic, 125-123 double OT win. While Cousy (the league MVP that year) and Sharman had off games, Russell (19 points, 32 rebounds) and Heinsohn (37 points, 23 rebounds) carried them to victory, launching a modern dynasty.

23. 1972-73 New York Knicks: The Knicks came up short in the 1972 Finals against the Lakers, in part because Willis Reed missed 71 games and wasn't available to defend Wilt Chamberlain. Reed returned to play 69 games in 1973, and having Jerry Lucas as a backup helped immensely. The Knicks won 57 games but finished 11 games behind the streaking Celtics.

After beating Baltimore 4-1 in the first round, the Knicks faced the Celtics in the conference finals. New York took a 3-1 lead, then allowed Boston to tie the series. However, with John Havlicek out with a shoulder injury, the Knicks easily won game 7 to face the Lakers in the Finals for the third time in four years.

The series was played tight to the vest (the largest margin of victory was nine points), but the Knicks managed to win 4 straight after losing game one to win their second (and last) title. It marked the last Finals appearences for Chamberlain, Jerry West, and the Knicks' starters, including Reed, who was Finals MVP.

22. 1957-58 St. Louis Hawks: The Hawks of St. Louis are largely forgotten because it's been 40 years since they moved to Atlanta. But these 1958 Hawks were the only team to beat Bill Russell in the NBA Finals, and for 27 years, were the only team to beat the Celtics in the Finals.

Bob Pettit was one of the best PFs of the NBA's early years. He finished third in scoring (24.6 per) and second in rebounds (17.4). The Hawks rolled to the Western Division title, securing a 41-31 record. The Hawks then beat the Detroit Pistons 4-1 to reach the Finals, and a 1957 rematch with the defending champs.

The series turned when Russell injured his ankle in game 3. Without him until the sixth game, the Hawks won the series 4-2, as Pettit exploited the injured Russell with 50 points in the clincher. The Hawks have never won a title since.

21. 1973-74 Boston Celtics: The Celtics had regained their position as a great team shortly after Bill Russell retired in 1969. Within two years, they had regained the division title, but could not get past the Knicks, who ended their season in 1972 and 1973 (which saw the Knicks win game seven on the road after John Havlicek got hurt).

In 1974, the Celtics were determined to get back the NBA title. The changing league certainly helped; Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, Willis Reed, and Dave DeBusschere were in their final seasons with their teams. The Celtics dropped from 68 wins to 56, but still had the best record in the East. The C's beat Buffalo in six, then hammered the defending champion Knicks 4-1 to make the Finals against Milwaukee, who made their first Finals in three years.

The series hinged on the matchup between Dave Cowens and league MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The Celtics game plan was to have Cowens defend him straight up. The teams exchanged wins through the first six games (including a classic finish in game six where Abdul-Jabbar hit a skyhook in double OT to win it for the Bucks). Most expected a close game seven, but coach Tom Heinsohn changed his game plan, and decided to double and triple team Kareem. Cowens was freed up to score 28 points, and Boston won easily 102-87. Once again, the Celtics were back on top.

That's the list for today. Tomorrow will be #'s 20-11. See ya then!

I meant to get this up earlier today, but the d*** computer at school didn't let me. Anyway, I came across this clipping in the Detroit Free Press Sunday. It was an except from the Chicago Sun-Times, where Jay Mariotti (who also does ESPN's Around the Horn) discussed the Bulls trading Ben Wallace, among others. To make a long story short, Mariotti throws Wallace under the bus and praises the Bulls for dealing him. That I can understand. What he says to defend it, however, must be questioned.

In his column, Mariotti states that "Dollar for dollar, inch for inch, Ben Wallace leaves as the biggest and most uninspiring bust in the long, gnarly history of Chicago sports". He also brings up that he fought management over his headband, "brought down (the) master plan", basically got Scott Skiles fired, didn't play the defense he did in Detroit, and "was exposed as a vastly overpriced roleplayer without the comfort zone of his talented Detroit teammates". Let's review Mariotti's claims:

Brought down the master plan: Well, he may not have won you a title, but you won your first playoff series since Jordan retired. That's better than nothing.

The headband: Who cares? Seriously, Skiles should have lightened up sooner. Speaking of which...

Getting Skiles fired: The entire Bulls team was on the verge of mutiny. Joakim Noah yelled at an assistent coach right before the ax was used, and Skiles is the kind of coach who wears out his welcome after so much time. His firing was inevitable, so I can't blame Wallace.

Didn't play like a four time DPOY: Maybe, but his style of play was predicated on hustle and determination; both are in short supply. Maybe John Paxson should have noticed that when he signed Wallace before last season (we'll get to Pax in a moment).

Exposed as a vastly overpriced roleplayer outside Detroit: See above.

All these things could have been prevented if Paxson had noticed what Joe Dumars did and not signed Wallace to that megadeal. Team GMs are payed to know when a player may break down, and Pax simply didn't do his homework. But the one thing that Mariotti said that really made me laugh was calling Wallace "the biggest... bust in the long, gnarly history of Chicago sports". Really?

Let me get this straight; in a city where the Cubs, despite some good players, haven't won a title in 100 years; where the White Sox traded Sammy Sosa for George Bell; where the Blackhawks stink; and where the Bears have drafted Cade McNown, Curtis Enis and Rashaan Salaam; Wallace is the city's biggest sports bust? Give me a break!

Mariotti doesn't even mention his favorite QB, Rex Grossman, as a bust, and Grossman did nothing but make mistakes. Heck, Mariotti screamed in horror on ATH when Grossman reupped! What about McNown, taken so high, and falling so fast. What about Enis entering and exiting quickly? Or Salaam being the lastest Heisman bust? Wallace wasn't as bad as those guys were (and are). So Mariotti just blowing smoke here.

In summation, Ben Wallace's signing was a mistake because the team around him (i.e. lots of perimeter O, no post-up O) wasn't built for him. That's the fault of his GM, not of Wallace himself. That's makes him a financial mistake, but not the biggest bust in Chicago history. Maybe next time Mariotti does a column, he should check his facts a little more carefully, because if he doesn't, he could be the next Cade McNown!

Last night was an eventful one in the NBA. We saw players get suspended, teams slack away another game, and a team move on to round three. Let's get topic #1 out of the way first: the suspensions of Spurs F Robert Horry (2 games for his hockeyesque hip check of Steve Nash) and Suns Fs Boris Diaw and, more importantly, Amare Stoudemire for leaving the bench. The Horry suspension was justified simply because of who was involved. If he had hit Diaw instead, it would have been one game at most or even just a fine. As for Amare and Diaw, I guess David Stern and Stu Jackson really want to decide the best series in round two, because they really didn't need to suspend them. They barely went past the coaches line and didn't up the ante of the fight! Stern and Jackson let their pride get in the way here: they thought "We've been consistent so far; let's suspend the stars anyway!". They don't realize they just swung the balance of the series to the Spurs, not just tonight, but for six and (maybe) seven, because the Suns will wear themselves out tonight and be drained for later. Congrats to them! As for slackers, the Pistons sleepwalked through another blowout loss to the Bulls, this time at home, where they hadn't lost a closeout game in over a decade, and now face a 2006 moment again: another seven game series in round two. What makes this quagmire even more depressing is that Cleveland could finish off the Nets tonight (a likely possibility) and rest and wait for Detroit in round three. Last year, Miami had loits of rest and blew away the Pistons. The sad thing is that the Pistons have let the Bulls get huge leads early in each of the last three games, and had they not made that comeback in game three, they'd be down 3-2! Why are they so complacent? No one knows. They just are. Lastly, Utah became the first conference finalists after knocking off the Warriors, allowing the 'national nightmare', as Charles Barkley has called them, to end. Personally, the Warriors were a great story, and their elimination was not a good thing. However, Utah was simply too big, and Carlos Boozer, as I stated on a previous blog entry, was the key, dominating the paint and the smaller defenders all series. Kudos also for the embattled Andrei Kirilenko, who was huge throughout, as well. That said, the Spurs-Suns winner should win the West. But the Jazz are back as a top tier team again. And Jerry Sloan proved he can win without Stockton and Malone. Well, now I must get ready for tonight's slate. Hopefully Phoenix can survive. Maybe Stern and Jackson can play.