Lakers vs. Celtics in Finals?

By Brian Ault Sports Central Columnist

It seems like an odd pipe dream. It is one of the greatest rivalries in the history of the NBA -- the L.A. Lakers vs. the Boston Celtics.

It spawned the epic Magic vs. Bird rivalry.

Could it be back again for a run in 2002?

It may sound insane, but it is possible, and with the way things have been going this year in the NBA, anything is still possible.

Let's look at some ways this revival of the old way could go down. First, let's start with the Beantowners. Their opponent in the next round is second-seeded Detroit. The Pistons are the best defensive team right now in the East.

Can they be beat?

Yes. They're good, but they are defeatable if teams can crack their shell. And with Paul Pierce playing the way he did in Game 5 of their first round series, torching the Sixers for 46 points, they aren't going to be looking so good.

In the Conference Finals, it'd be either the Nets or the Hornets.

New Jersey has another year to be a contender. The Hornets are the only tough one. Without leading-scorer Jamal Mashburn, though, they don't have the type of guard package to stop Pierce from burning them to pieces.

Out West you'll find the two-time champion L.A Lakers taking on San Antonio in the next round.

There is still the question of whether or not David Robinson can play in this series. If he plays, it will be interesting. If he doesn't, we might be seeing a repeat of last year's sweep. Either way, their role players can get the Lakers over the top.

In the West Conference Finals, Los Angeles will face either Dallas or Sacramento, the top two scoring teams in the NBA.

The Kings need Chris Webber playing well to have any shot at winning. Sometimes, C-Webb spaces-out at the wrong time (look at last year's playoffs and you'll see that point).

Meanwhile, the Mavs have a good shot at cracking the L.A. Armada. But L.A. isn't as defensively flawed as Minnesota was.

There may be some thorns in the road, but they'll be cleared.

That's how it could happen. That's how two cities that still like each other like a dog likes a bag of fleas, can renew old bitter tensions.

Who knows, maybe come June, right before tipoff of Game 1 of the NBA Finals, you'll see a Celtic fan beating the hell out of a Laker fan saying, "Kareem was not better than Walton!"

Article courtesy of Sports Central.