NBA FINALS REVIEW AND "FINALS" PREVIEW

The UnCrowned Kings: This time, the better team did not win the series. Sacramento outplayed the Lakers, only to fall prey to a lucky bounce, questionable officiating, and their own poor free-throw shooting. They did all this with an extremely limited Peja, who contributed quite little throughout the series. As for the meteoric rise of Mike Bibby, well its not the Kurt Warner story - he was consdiered the best prospect of 1998 draft (going No.2 only because the eternal dream of finding of a legit center) and had led his college team to a national title. Was his play spectacular - yes, surprising - no. Which brings us to the critical question of how long the Kings window for contending is. With Webber in his prime, and Peja, Bibby and Turkoglu still on their way up, they have the makings of a top-tier team for majority of the decade. However, only with a healthy Vlade Divac, who turns 35 next season, are they a championship-caliber team. That gives them one-two years max to win it as currently constructed.

Celtic Pride: Basketball is all about match-ups, and the same Celtic squad that ran and shot rings around the Sixers and Pistons was soundly outplayed by a fast, deep Nets squad. New Jersey used a zone to shut down Pierce and Walker and dared the rest of the C's to beat them. They couldn't come close.

The Cinderella Nets: They play basketball the way it was meant to be played; they run the fastbreak in textbook fashion, and so many players contribute in so many different ways. My heart is with them all the way. My head says - they're at best the league's fourth best team.

Those Darn Lakers: Dynasties aren't loveable. Especially not this one, where you take the league's two best players, stick them on a team coached by the guy that one six title's with the last dynasty, and it just doesn't seem fair. Still, let's give them their props - this years' group has to have the thinnest bench in the history of NBA champions (Samaki Walker and Devean George are not exactly Michael Cooper and Mychal Thompson). In addition, Shaq and Kobe played the whole Kings series nicked up, but shrugged off pain and food poisoning to deliver game after game. The key to the Laker's higher gear in the postseason - Robert Horry. Even since he got his rings with the Rockets, he sleepwalks through the regular season, then reminds us of why he's now racked up four rings so far (which leads one to ask whether or not Horry should even get payed until the playoffs). Oh, I suppose I should predict the results of the "finals." Lakers in 5