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I visited the Dentist while I was on vacation this past week, and as I'm sitting in the chair waiting to have my gums carved, and chomp down on the vaccuum tool that sucks your will to live, I thought to myself, "this experience will be far more enjoyable than watching the Spurs-Pistons Finals". I WAS WRONG! This has been a terrific series, as the Spurs and Pistons are showing everyone that they might be playing till mid-June for the next decade. It didn't start out this way though, as the Pistons opened the series with a 17-4 lead, and looked like they might run away with Game 1. Then it happened, a 37-35 Halftime score! As I begged the Good Lord to take me home and end this misery, he somehow convinced me to stick out the second half, and I'm glad I did. Manu Ginobili put on a clinic, and the Spurs took Game 1. We are three games in and we can stop right now as far as I'm concerned as I already have memories that will last a lifetime.....Here they are:

1)Eva Longoria: I don't care if she's at the games or not, there needs to be a whole heck of a lot more gratuitous footage of Eva. Interviews, photo shoots, what are her likes/dislikes? You can almost do this for the entire first quarter, rejoin the game action in the second quarter and have only missed three baskets. David Stern wants higher ratings right?

2)Larry Brown's Glasses: They are fascinating! Next time you see an interview with Brown (not a press conference, an up-close interview) just stare into those reddish/brown frames and concentrate on Larry's voice. It will send you to the most peaceful, perfect sleep. I'm serious, I did this Monday night and I was fast asleep within seconds. However, my slumber only lasted five minutes because, by contrast, Screamin' A. Smith's segment came on ESPN and I awoke in terror, looking for a place to bury my head, much like a Golden Retriever if you bellow into a dog whistle.

3)Robert Horry is a human four-leaf clover: If Darko Milicic is the human victory cigar, then Robert Horry is the human four-leaf clover. When it's all said and done if the Spurs are hoisting the Championship trophy, it will make Robert Horry 6-0 in the NBA Finals. He's never lost a Championship Series and ironically enough, Michael Jordan has that same 6-0 mark. MJ is who Horry just passed for the most 3-pointers made in NBA Finals history. Not only will he play till he's 50, but as long as he remains with the Spurs, they'll win till he's 50.

4)Stevie Wonder "watching" Game 3: What?.........there's no joke here, it's just something I will always remember.

5)Rasheed Wallace's Championship Belt: Hey, I actually kind of like the idea. I'm of the mindset that if you win an NBA title you can do whatever the heck you want to flaunt it. If it was Ben Wallace carrying the belt, everyone would love it and he'd be even more of an icon than he is. HOWEVER, it's Rasheed Wallace......and we all know he's.....well....how can I put this?............crazier than an outhouse rat? We're waiting for him to snap, thinking he's really a member of WWE and put Bruce Bowen through a table. Imagine you're a Dad who gets the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take your kid to a Finals game and sit courtside. Then, you have the great misfortune of hearing Rasheed get one of his nine playoff technicals (thus far). This is another memory I will have forever, the one of that Father spitting out his pretzel in horror and leaning over to cover his son's ears. However, it's too late. He's already heard the beautifully woven string of obscenities that will haunt his life forever. As the son grows into a 45 year-old man who still can't fall asleep without a night light, we should all look back and remember 'Sheed.

6)Ben Wallace's Hair: I know, I know, he's had this 'fro for years, BUT this year it's the best it's ever been. I saw Michelle Tafoya interviewing it after the game:

Michelle: "so what was the secret to the Pistons win tonight?"

Fro: "Well, Ben and I talked before the game and we knew we had to come out and set the tone early. I just told him to run.....and leave the rest to me."

I hope he never cuts it the rest of his career. I don't even watch the game, I can't take my eyes off this thing. Opponents just get lost in it, like Austin Powers staring at Fred Savage's mole. I'm waiting for Tim Duncan to poke it with a stick.

7)The Defense: Both teams play defense the way it was meant to be played. We've heard it time and time again, "Defense wins Championships". Well low and behold the two best defensive teams in the NBA have won the last two Championships. Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups can all take risks attacking the passing lanes, because if they get beat, Tim Duncan and Ben Wallace have their backs. As a result, the Pistons are averaging 10 steals and seven blocks a game, the Spurs are 7 and 6. I know we all wanted the Suns and Heat to play in the Finals but again it was proven you win with defense. Richard Hamilton summed it up perfectly saying he hasn't been shut down, he's getting the shots he wants, he's just missing them. WELL.....that's because Bruce Bowen is inside your jersey, challenging those shots. If it was 5 on 4 and no one guarded you, you'd probably hit those shots, Einstein.

8)Manu Ginobili: I'm going to have to start putting this guy up there with Allen Iverson as far as toughness. He slams into the floor just as much as AI, and weaves through defenders much the same way. Granted Iverson is much more graceful whereas Ginobili looks like it's taking everything out of him to get to the hole, but then he'll rise up and slam on three people. Watching this guy dominate Games 1 and 2 further proved what kind of competitor he is, averaging 26.5 points a game. He had more points in the fourth quarter of Game 1 than Rasheed Wallace, Ben Wallace and Antonio McDyess had for the entire game...combined! He's already got an NBA title, he's added an Olympic Gold Medal and now he's in search of NBA Title number two. To put things in perspective, he was drafted with the 57th pick (2nd to last in NBA Draft) in 1999. Granted the Spurs had to wait three years for him to come to the NBA, but it certainly was a better investment than Melvin Levett....whom the Pistons took at 54. Sure would be a different series if Manu was a Pistons player.

9)Darko Milicic: He HAS to be the only number two pick in NBA history that gets a standing ovation upon entering a blowout with :30 left. Shawn Bradley, Danny Ferry, and Sam Bowie were all selected at number two, and they spent their careers being booed mercilessly. Darko gets a deafening ovation every time he stands up, even if it's just to make room on the bench for Elden Campbell. He should never ask to be put into a game, he's got a great life right now and it can only go downhill from here.

10)Princess Glenn Robinson riding the pine: He is the sole reason I would ever want Rasheed Wallace and the Detroit Pistons to win another Title. Cheering for him would be like cheering for Ivan Drago to beat Rocky. It goes against all our moral fiber as Americans. He is the Emperor, Leader of the Sith and all that is evil. At least Vince Carter made up an injury to not play in Toronto, GLENN just had his feelings hurt and sat out every game this year for Philly. I have nothing against him PERSONALLY, and I'm sure deep, deep down he's a good person. Heck, I even sent him the Malibu Barbie he wanted for Christmas. Should the Pistons win it all, seeing Big Dog's disappointed mug, is one memory I'll never forget.

Dante welcomes your comments, questions and alternative opinions. E-mail him here.

Dante’s Speak is solely the opinion of Dante Marchitelli and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA. Marchitelli has served as radio producer in the Orlando Magic's Broadcast department for seven seasons.