Hacksaw has had a hiatus. And since I have been incognito one prediction darn near came through. The Boston Celtics my pre-season NBA favorite came up just shy in the finals against Hacksaw’s 1a team the Los Angeles Lakers. And wouldn’t you know both of my favorite off season pick-ups were instrumental in game 7 of the NBA Finals.

Rasheed Wallace who’s regular season resembled the Celtics regular season of ho-hum came up big in game 7 against the Lakers filling in for Kendrick Perkins with 8 rebounds, some low post scoring and a huge 3 in the final minutes before fouling out to make the game closer than anticipated. If nothing else Rasheed saved the Celtic bettors with his 3 to more than cover the 6.5 point spread at the Orleans Hotel and Casino sports book where yours truly took the Beantown hoopsters.

On the other side of the ball in my home town of Los Angeles the big off-season pick up Ron Artest probably the most mis-understood basketball player since Spencer Haywood to hit tinsel town came up huge in the post-season. Yes, I know Dennis Rodman had a short stint in LA but he was completely understood by the time he had left Chicago he was completely whacky and ready for prime time television reality freak shows. Nothing against the worm I loved his hoops prowess but he was past his prime in LA. Artest was just another of legendary Phil Jackson’s undertakings that well……worked out really well because all Ron-Ron did was be in the right place at the right time against the upstart and valiant Phoenix Suns in a tight game five to hit the winner in the Western Conference Finals and then drop 20 including a big three in the final minutes answering Rasheed Wallace’s big three.

When all was said and done in the NBA Finals I am happy to say I picked against the spread 6 of the 7 games only missing the game 6 blowout at the Staples Center when everything that could go wrong for Boston went wrong.