Power Rankings: Dreaming of Lakers-Celtics? Curb your enthusiasm

The Lakers and Celtics enter the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in each conference, but before NBA fans get giddy about reviving the best rivalry of the 1980s, it's time for a history lesson.

The last time the two top teams from each conference met in the NBA Finals was 2000 when the Lakers beat the Pacers. Since then, only three No. 1 seeds overall have reached the finals (Philadelphia in 2001, New Jersey in 2002 and San Antonio in 2003).

Dream on, folks, this Kobe Bryant-Paul Pierce matchup won't happen. (Getty Images)

Last year, the Spurs (No. 3 seed in the West) beat the Cavaliers (No. 4 in the East). In 2006, it was Miami (No. 2) over Dallas (No. 4). In 2005, San Antonio (No. 2) beat Detroit (No. 2). And in 2004, the Pistons (No. 3) beat the Lakers (No. 2).

Now, just because a No. 1 seed hasn't reached the finals since 2003, that doesn't rule out either the Lakers or Celtics getting there. But Boston also has another dubious distinction to overcome.

The Celtics are the No. 1 overall seed in the playoffs, and in the past seven years only the Spurs in 2003 entered the playoffs at the top spot and won the title. Last year's No. 1 overall seed, Dallas, lost in the first round to Golden State.

In the past four seasons, only lower seeds have won the championship. And in each case, teams that won more than 60 games in the regular season for the best record were unable to win a title, which doesn't bode well for Boston (66-16).

The 2003-04 Pacers (61-21) lost to the Pistons in the Eastern Conference finals. The 2004-05 Suns (62-20) lost to the Spurs in the Western Conference finals. The 2005-06 Pistons (64-18) lost to the Heat in the conference finals. And then there's Dallas (67-15), which was shocked last year.

In fact, in the past 18 years, only seven teams with the best record during the 82-game season won titles, with Michael Jordan's Bulls achieving the feat four times.

It will be fun to watch if the Lakers and Celtics can overcome this recent trend to reach the NBA Finals. And this year's playoffs will be exciting.

Here are some intriguing first-round matchups:

San Antonio-Phoenix: We all remember last year's playoffs when Robert Horry hip-checked Steve Nash, which resulted in several suspensions and the Spurs winning the series. The Suns won the season series 3-1, including both games since acquiring Shaquille O'Neal. But taking out the Spurs in the first round will be tough.

Cleveland-Washington: Cleveland has eliminated Washington the past two years in the playoffs, but the Wizards have guaranteed a victory this year. LeBron James has been dealing with a bad back, so his supporting cast will have to step up to help the Cavaliers make it three years in a row.

New Orleans-Dallas: The Mavericks ended the regular season with a 111-98 victory against the Hornets to even the season series at two. Chris Paul and New Orleans have had a magical season, but Dallas is playoff tested. The Mavericks don't want another first-round exit after last year's embarrassment against Golden State.

Orlando-Toronto: The Magic have put together a quiet 52-win season, while the Raptors struggled to reach .500. Both teams made the playoffs last year but were eliminated in the first round. This series will feature two of the best young big men in the league with Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh.

Utah-Houston: This is a rematch of last year's first round when the Jazz beat the Rockets. Tracy McGrady is still trying to get past the first round of the playoffs, but he will find it tough without injured center Yao Ming. Houston has the home-court advantage with the better record, but the Jazz have the best record at home this year at 37-4.

This week's power rankings:

Power Rankings
Current		Team	Previous
	1	Celtics · Trends	1
	The Celtics completed the best turnaround in the history of the NBA by winning 42 more games than last year. Now we'll find out if they can bring home the title as well.
	2	Lakers · Trends	5
	Kobe Bryant deserves the MVP after leading the Lakers to the best record in the Western Conference. The only question remaining for the Lakers is the health of center Andrew Bynum.
	3	Spurs · Trends	4
	Manu Ginobili was able to play in the season finale against Utah, and San Antonio got Brent Barry back. Until the Spurs are eliminated they will be a favorite to win the title.
	4	Pistons · Trends	3
	Detroit is on a crash course with Boston for the Eastern Conference finals. If the Pistons bench is as good as advertised, it could happen.
	5	Hornets · Trends	2
	New Orleans finished as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, but the Hornets are still the third-best team in the conference behind the Lakers and Spurs. Chris Paul will lose the MVP award to Kobe Bryant.
	6	Jazz · Trends	6
	The Jazz only need to win one game on the road in the first round since they have the best home record in the NBA. Mehmet Okur closed the season with five double-doubles in his final six games.
	7	Suns · Trends	7
	The Suns are 18-11 since trading for Shaquille O'Neal, including 2-0 against San Antonio. The Suns won the season series from the Spurs for the first time since 2002-03.
	8	Rockets · Trends	8
	The Rockets could be without starting point guard Rafer Alston (hamstring) for the first round. That will mean more minutes for Bobby Jackson, but not having a solid point guard rotation is tough against Utah's Deron Williams.
	9	Magic · Trends	9
	Hedo Turkoglu should win the NBA's Most Improved Player award. His play has overshadowed Rashard Lewis, and the Magic have a great trio along with Dwight Howard.
	10	Mavericks · Trends	10
	The Mavericks are 16-13 since trading for Jason Kidd, including 1-1 against the Hornets. Kidd has a size advantage against Chris Paul, but Paul is much quicker. That matchup will be fun to watch.
	11	Cavaliers · Trends	15
	LeBron James put the Cavs on his back last year, and they reached the finals. Now James has a bad back, so can he do it again? He will need help from his supporting cast, which has been brutal down the stretch.
	12	Nuggets · Trends	12
	Carmelo Anthony's arrest could be a distraction, but the Nuggets might have to average 130 points to beat the Lakers in the first round. The Nuggets have no one to defend Kobe Bryant.
	13	Wizards · Trends	13
	Since Gilbert Arenas returned from his knee injury April 2, the trio of Arenas, Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison has only played three games together. Is that enough to build chemistry for the playoffs?
	14	Warriors · Trends	11
	So you're in a close game which could determine your playoff fate and you bench your best player in Baron Davis for the second half? Good move Don Nelson. Enjoy your offseason.
	15	Raptors · Trends	17
	The Raptors haven't found a way to use the league's best three-point shooter in Jason Kapono. But Rasho Nesterovic -- yes, that Rasho Nesterovic -- closed the season by scoring in double figures in 17 of his final 18 games.
	16	76ers · Trends	14
	The Sixers ended the season on a four-game losing streak, but they are 22-14 since February 1, including two wins against Detroit. The Sixers tied the season series with the Pistons at two.
	17	Hawks · Trends	16
	The Hawks are 0-3 against the Celtics this season with the average margin of victory at 14.1 points. In 33 games with Atlanta, Mike Bibby is averaging 14.1 points.
	18	Trail Blazers · Trends	18
	Portland can start counting down the days until Greg Oden takes the court. He will form a nice tandem with Brandon Roy, who improved his points, rebounds and assists this year.
	19	Nets · Trends	21
	The Nets have to make a decision on coach Lawrence Frank, but New Jersey should be able to make a run in the playoffs next year with Devin Harris at point guard and swingmen Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson.
	20	Kings · Trends	19
	Kevin Martin (knee), Ron Artest (thumb) and Brad Miller (elbow) were unable to finish the season, but the Kings found out they have a strong bench with Francisco Garcia and John Salmons.
	21	Pacers · Trends	20
	The Pacers missed the playoffs and now must decide what to do with Jermaine O'Neal, who averaged 7.0 points and 4.9 rebounds in eight games in April. He's a shell of his former self, and the future is Danny Granger, who needs to be the star.
	22	Clippers · Trends	26
	The Clippers found this season they have a budding star in rookie forward Al Thornton and a solid post presence in Chris Kaman. If Elton Brand and Corey Maggette return next season, a trip to the playoffs is a possibility.
	23	Bulls · Trends	22
	The Bulls have to decide on a coach and the future of Luol Deng and Ben Gordon. The only good thing for Chicago this year was the extra playing time for Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas, which should help in their development.
	24	Bobcats · Trends	23
	The Jason Richardson deal was one of the few things that went right for Michael Jordan this year. He finished the year with 21.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists and proved not to be a headache.
	25	Bucks · Trends	24
	Center Andrew Bogut had a breakout year with 14.4 points and 9.8 rebounds. If he can carry it into next year, the Bucks should make a playoff run with Michael Redd and Mo Williams. Scott Skiles also may take over as coach.
	26	Grizzlies · Trends	25
	The Grizzlies established some good guards in Rudy Gay, Mike Miller and Mike Conley. Now all they need is a post player. And no, Darko Milicic and Kwame Brown don't count.
	27	Timberwolves · Trends	27
	Randy Foye finished the season by averaging 18.4 points and 5.2 assists in 10 April games. He's trying to show management that Derrick Rose isn't needed.
	28	SuperSonics · Trends	29
	If the Sonics leave Seattle as expected, at least the fans got to see the rookie of the year in Kevin Durant. His summer goal is to gain weight and learn how to rebound since the 6-foot-9 forward only averaged 4.3 boards this season.
	29	Knicks · Trends	28
	Isiah Thomas is out as the coach. All Knicks fans can rejoice. Now the question is if new team president Donnie Walsh can turn them into a winner. We'll see.
	30	Heat · Trends	30
	The Heat beat the Hawks 113-99 in the season finale to match the 1988-89 expansion team for the worst record in franchise history. Miami should have a quick turnaround with a lottery pick to go with Dwyane Wade, but Pat Riley's future as coach remains undecided.