It was the time to rise up for the Boston Celtics. This season, they have acquired two future Hall of Fame candidates in Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to support their hometown superstar Paul Pierce. The NBA Playoffs were a test on how this new look Celtics would respond to pressure. They were taken to the brink of elimination by the Atlanta Hawks during the first round of the series. Now, they have faced the phenomenal Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. They were looking at another Game 7. They were again at the brink of elimination. But the Celtics were still able to finish the Cavaliers in their most crucial game to date and advance to the NBA Eastern Conference Finals.

Rudy Tomjanovich said during the Houston Rockets’ title run in the mid-90s to “never underestimate the heart of a champion”. This was greatly felt by the New Orleans Hornets as they crashed and burned in Game 6 of their series with the defending NBA Champions, the San Antonio Spurs. Leading by a game, the Hornets could have sealed the deal and advanced to the Western Conference Finals but they were denied by the Spurs. They have forced a Game 7 battle wherein the better team will face Los Angeles Lakers.

Six. This is the number of times in a row that the Detroit Pistons are able to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals. In two of those times, they have won the NBA Championship. This year, they have made it again and will be facing the winner of the Boston Celtics – Cleveland Cavaliers series. Regardless of who wins between those two teams, the Pistons are prepared. They have ample time to rest, which is most important for their star point guard Chauncey Billups who had an ankle injury in their team’s match-up against the Orlando Magic. Detroit’s beating of Orlando in five games was their ticket to this year’s East Finals.

The story of the “Wizard of Oz” taught a valuable lesson: there is no place like home. For most of the remaining teams competing in this year’s NBA Playoffs, their home court was the key to success. Out of eight teams, only one has lost in their official arena. The Western Conference saw Utah, Los Angeles, San Antonio and New Orleans playing their best games in their respective courts. The Eastern Conference, meanwhile, has Detroit, Boston, and Cleveland protecting their turf. Orlando was the only team that relinquished the advantage of playing for a very supportive home crowd.

The San Antonio Spurs did not become last year’s NBA Champions for nothing. They showcased their team power and muscled their way to the title by beating the other ball clubs that stood in their way. However, this year’s Playoffs are becoming a stumbling block to them as they were handed two consecutive losses by the New Orleans Hornets. Not having homecourt advantage was a factor in the Spurs earlier defeats but Game Three was another story. Returning to the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, Tim Duncan and the Spurs rallied their way to a much-needed victory with a 110-99 beating of the Hornets.

There have been many detractors over the season but Kobe Bryant proved them wrong by becoming this year’s NBA Most Valuable Player. Now in his 12th season in the league, Kobe is a major candidate for the award for the past years but has only secured it for the 2007 – 2008 season. Many players in the NBA agree that Kobe is the best player but are quite surprised that he still hasn’t won the trophy until this year. And, to show the world why he deserves the title, Kobe has willed his Los Angeles Lakers squad to six straight victories in the postseason, sweeping the Denver Nuggets in the first round and winning two straight games against the Northwest Division champions, the Utah Jazz.

The suspense-filled match-up that is the Boston – Atlanta series is finally over. There will be no more talks about upsets, youth versus veterans, and fair-weathered fans. Finally, every one can go on with their lives as the number one team in the NBA this season, the Boston Celtics, moves on to the second round of the Playoffs after they have beaten the Atlanta Hawks, 99-65. Avoiding a collapse similar to last year’s Dallas – Golden State series, the Celtics proved to the world why they are the team to beat. It may have taken them seven games to finally eliminate the pesky Hawks but they showed true grit and power which should scare the rest of the competition.

The road to the NBA Championship is filled with obstacles and challenges. No team is assured of a spot even if they showed grit and power during the regular season. This is held true by the Detroit Pistons, who have recently won their first round match-up against the Philadelphia 76ers. Favored by many analysts to cruise through their opening opponents, the Pistons were stunned by two losses, eventually setting up for a Game 6 showdown in the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia. Regaining their composure, the former Champions were able to muscle their way to victory, setting up a second round battle against the Orlando Magic.

The legend of LeBron James is growing steadily. However, he is facing some difficult challenges in this year’s NBA Playoffs. His Cleveland Cavaliers team is fighting off the Washington Wizards to get into the second round. Washington has been plagued by injuries and has been without one of its star players in Gilbert Arenas. Still, the series is tightly contested as the Wizards managed to win another game at the Cavaliers’ home court. The score is 88 – 87 in Washington’s Game 5 victory, thanks to a layup by Caron Butler. It would have ended in another way if Lebron James had been able to make his last shot.