  Just yesterday I got on here real quick to leave a short note about how I don't have enough time to do any posting until the end of this week, but I just had to put something up about this: The urlLink Detroit Pistons knocked off the Indiana Pacers last night in a urlLink very ugly Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals (but who gives a crap - we won! ) . With the win, the Pistons have advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time since the 1989-90 season, which is when the "Bad Boys" won their second of two titles in as many years. It was so great to see Joe Dumars, the Pistons President of Operations, lofting the silver Eastern Conf. Championship trophy above his head after the game, for the first time since fourteen years ago when he did it as a member of the Pistons championship team in 1990.
I also have to add this: I love Rip Hamilton. The kid has been going off and is just now starting to garner the attention he has long deserved. He lit it up against Indiana all series, even when the Pacers tried to stop him by throwing "supposedly" the toughest defender in the leaugue, Ron Artest, at him.
So, anyway. I'm totally psyched for the Pistons/Lakers series to start. Game 1 is Sunday, June 6th. The majority of people out there are already counting us out against the L.A. in the Finals, but I like our chances. The only thing I'm worried about is the refs not giving our tough defense and rough-and-tumble style of play a chance against the Lakers. The league and its refs have a reputation of giving superstars the special treatment, blowing the whistle anytime someone so much as runs anywhere in the vicinity of Kobe or Shaq.
Barring that, I think we've got a good chance to win. We match up against them really well. We've got a slew of 7-footers to throw at Shaq, two of which can step outside and knock down long jump shots, which will force O'Neal to step out from under the basket and make it easier for us to attack the rim. Besides, our D is gonna give 'em absolute hell. So go ahead - bring it, L.A.! 
