The Jamaica Star :: Sport :: Celtics, Pistons the only hope for the East

Chauncey Billups, Kevin Garnett - File

NEW YORK (AP)

For all the attention focused on the Western Conference playoff race, it's the Boston Celtics who have the NBA's best record.

The Detroit Pistons aren't far behind, which means the Eastern Conference has at least two teams capable of beating whoever survives the playoffs out West.

Better finals

That should make for a much better NBA finals than last year, when the East had little hope of competing in the title round.

The San Antonio Spurs swept finals newcomers the Cleveland Cavaliers in four games, but it would have been hard to imagine any East team doing much better. That shouldn't be the case this June, especially if the East sends Boston, which proved it can stand up to the West by going 25-5 against the conference this season.

"Now you know the Celtics can," NBA commissioner David Stern said.

The Pistons went into the weekend with 55 wins, tied with West leader New Orleans. Detroit had the league's second-best record for most of the season, but has slipped a bit toward the finish while resting some of its starters.

Detroit is 21-8 against the West, with a game remaining against Minnesota.

The Pistons' 53-29 record last year won the East, but would have been good for only fourth out West. Cleveland was the East's only other 50-win team, but its 50-32 mark would have placed the Cavaliers sixth in the West - where their match-up with the Spurs would have come in the first round.

Championships

Though the West has been better for years, East teams have won two of the last four championships. Boston or Detroit would give them a chance to finish on top again this year.

"The West always gets a great reputation for being best in the league, but Miami won the championship," said TV analyst Kenny Smith, adding that Detroit won two years earlier. "The Western Conference, I think, is always the best from 1 to 8, but when you take the best two teams in terms of each conference, they're particularly not that much better."