A worthy challenger: the Pistons are emerging as the best team in the East--and just might be good enough to knock out a heavyweight from the West. Just don't let Larry Brown hear you say it.(NBA)

Larry Brown is incredulous.

He knows the league standings, and he knows his team, Detroit, is looking up--way up, six games up--at the Pacers, who hold the NBA's best overall record, and the best road record. Then, Brown channels the recent past to point out that, "We have not beaten Indiana even once all year."

Indeed, he is right: At the time--before the Pistons won their last meeting in the regular season--it was Indiana 3, Pistons 0. Even if you somehow discount the Pacers, Brown continues, there's still the matter of the two-time reigning East champs, the Nets. "And New Jersey swept us in the playoffs last year," Brown says. "It was not even close" ...