First Down

WEEKEND REWIND - In case you missed it

Lakers, Celtics advance to NBA Finals:The NBA gets its dream scenario, the league’s two most prestigious franchises meeting for the 11th time in the finals. This year’s version of the rivalry not only lacks the star power (sans Kobe Bryant) of the 1980s but the bad blood between the teams as well. In today’s sponsor-friendly NBA, don’t expect to see Luke Walton pulling a Kurt Rambis and clotheslining Kevin Garnett to the floor. Then again, anything’s an improvement over Spurs-Pistons III.

Kimbo Slice goes mainstream:CBS made its first foray into mixed martial arts with a Saturday night telecast featuring a fight between Internet fighting sensation Kimbo Slice and James Thompson. The highlight of the dreadful show came at the end of the fight, when Thompson’s disfigured cauliflower ear popped after a punch, ending the fight. Thompson’s ear now takes its place among the most disgusting thing seen on network television next to Roseanne Barr and last year’s Redskins-Patriots game.

TWT FIVE - SIGNS OF THE APOCALYPSE

1. An MMA fight featuring a former homeless man drew as much media attention as Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

2. One American (Robby Ginepri) survives the third round at the French Open. Add tennis along with basketball on the list of sports in which Americans have been surpassed by the rest of the world.

3. The Celtics go from 24 wins to the NBA Finals. Will former Celtics great and Timberwolves GM Kevin McHale get a ring for gift-wrapping Kevin Garnett to Boston?

4. Perennial bottom-feeders Marlins and Rays are in playoff contention. Meanwhile, the Beltways’ two teams will be lucky to finish near the .500 mark.

5. Rick Reilly will make more from his ESPN contract a year ($10 million over five years, $2 million a year) than 21 members of the Nationals.

HE SAID WHAT?

“As a kid, I hated the Celtics.” - Celtics forward, who grew up in Los Angeles as a Lakers fan