It is well known that the aura around the National Basketball Association hasn't been what it used to be for some time now.
To fans dismay, Bob Costas no longer hands it over courtside to Marv Albert and Mike Fratello on the NBA on NBC. No longer is Michael Jordan promoting your favorite fast food restaurant, your favorite bubblegum and the underwear you're wearing, all while scoring 40 points with his tongue hanging out. That's just not what the NBA is like anymore.
In fact, today's stars such as MVP candidates Chris Paul and LeBron James weren't even freshman in high school when Jordan last appeared in the NBA Playoffs.
The names, the game, and the aura that once was will undoubtedly be forever changed. Change, however, is not always a bad thing.
The NBA playoffs have been in full swing since late April. Four teams remain on the hardwood and not one of them is willing to go away.
As of early Tuesday, the Boston Celtics and the Detroit Pistons are square in their fight for the Eastern Conference title at two games apiece. In the West, the Los Angeles Lakers and NBA MVP Kobe Bryant have a 2-1 series lead on the San Antonio Spurs.
In the East, the two defensive powerhouses in Boston and Detroit have been trading wins ever since the beginning of the series. The Celtics took the series opener at home, while the Pistons answered in Game 2 with a 103-97 win.
When the series went to Detroit, the Celtics picked up their first postseason win on the road when star forward Kevin Garnett carried his team to a convincing 94-80 victory.
Right when the Celtics seemed to find the momentum with their first win on the road, the Pistons took it right back on Monday night when they dismantled the Celtics' offense, cruising to a 19 point win.
Predictions should be made carefully for the rest of the series, as the first four games have shown nothing but inconsistency from the most consistent players on either team.
Boston's veteran leader Ray Allen hasn't been able to find the basket on a regular basis for nearly the entire postseason. A career 45 percent field goal shooter, Allen made just 7 of 24 baskets attempted in the two-game stand in Detroit, according to ESPN.com.
Shockingly, Paul Pierce and Garnett, the other two factors in Boston's "Big Three" have had troubles as well. According to NBA.com, the trio "combined to miss their first seven shots and finished 11-for-38 from the field" in game four.
While players on both teams have struggled to find their feet with the tough defense being played night in and night out, the focus and desire that critics saw months ago in these teams still remains.
After game four, Allen was obviously frustrated with his team's performance.
According to ESPN.com, Allen said, "we pride ourselves on making our teammates better and allowing them to make us better." Unfortunately, in game four the Celtics couldn't better themselves in time to stay in the game.
Pistons coach Flip Saunders stayed focused on keeping the momentum his team gained with their game four win.
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