I knew this day of reckoning would come...

The streak we all thought would never end has come to a screeching halt downtown tonight. With a final score of 94-74, the Boston Celtics crushed the Rockets in what was seen as a close one until the second half commenced. The Rockets tried to close the gap in the end, but the damage was already done as Boston scored double what Houston had in the 3rd Quarter, 32 points to 16 to be specific.

Nonetheless, I am very proud of the effort the Rockets have shown all season, since such a streak occurs practically once in a generation. Additionally, the Rockets showed courage in what proved to be a tough fight against the best team in the league, a team that was put together with the intent of hanging another storied banner in the TD Banknorth Garden up in Boston.

That being said, I will be surprised if the Celtics don't make it to the Eastern Conference finals, which I expect will be a slugfest between them and either the Detroit Pistons or the Orlando Magic. The Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards also appear to have a strong shot for the playoffs. Only two teams, the Miami Heat and New York Knicks, are out.

The Western Conference, as we all know, is a wide open field with the Rockets among ten teams battling for home-court advantage, along with the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Hornets, Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs and Utah Jazz. The battle for the last spot is a fight between the Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors and Portland Trail Blazers.

As the season progresses, we will know more as to what will happen on the Playoff Trail. No word yet on which teams' playoff chances will catch dysentery and falter.