Pistons And Celtics Making History

Teams have a storied past against one another, but this is a new generation

This isn't about history. This isn't about Bird and McHale, Laimbeer and Thomas. This is about right here, right now.

And right now, there is no real history between these Celtics and Pistons. Three regular-season games and six months of anticipation don't make for much history.

"We will start our history (tonight)," Pistons coach Flip Saunders said.

This Eastern Conference finals is about the two best teams in the NBA -- Detroit and Boston -- fighting for a chance at the game's biggest prize. It doesn't have to be any more dramatic than that.

"We haven't been there (NBA Finals) in so long," Pistons guard Richard Hamilton said. "It kind of feels like we've never been there. But this is a new chapter in our book, and hopefully we can make it a good one."

You have the Pistons, the established conference power, playing in their sixth straight conference finals, yet playing to prove their 2004 title wasn't a fluke, playing to validate their status as one of the great teams in history.

Two straight losses in the conference finals have put a cloud over Detroit's legacy that only another ring can dissipate.

"We want the chance to win another NBA title," guard Lindsey Hunter said. "That's the only reason we are here. This matchup is good for the league and it's a historical battle and all of that. But we're trying to make our own legacy. We are trying to get another title so we will be considered a dynasty."

Then you have the Celtics, a constellation of three stars (Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen), each with the same gap in their resume -- no NBA title.

"Detroit has been at the top for the last four or five years," Pierce said. "They have something that we want."


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source : detnews.com