Lost in one of the greatest playoff collapses of the past decade last week was the fact that there wasnt just a loser or losers in this case, LeBron James, the Cavaliers, the city of Cleveland but there was also a winner.

The Boston Celtics may have benefited from a LeBron James disappearing act in game 5 of their semi-final matchup, but they were also the better team for the six games of their series. The Cavaliers may have been a curious team and franchise in decline every shoulder shrug, turnover and loss analyzed like the Zapruder film but the Celtics were also playing very good basketball.

Last year, averaging a triple-double in the playoffs, Rajon Rondo made a name for himself among the Big Three. But he was still finding his way. The Celtics were still Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnetts team. This season, with those three guys battling injury and trade rumors, it looked like the Celtics may have finally gone over the apex of the hill. Then the playoffs started, and the Celtics look like they had jumped into the way-back machine, in part due to Rondos incredible impression of Oscar Robertson.

It seemed the Big Three finally realized that in order to advance, they were going to need to selflessly let Rondo control the tempo and the team. The young guard from Kentucky ended up torching the Cavs in every facet of the game, scoring when he needed to but focusing much of his energy in getting teammates involved. Ray Allen was left to curl off of screens and knock down dagger shots (like the two threes to start the second half of game 5), Kevin Garnet finally got to be a confident and abusive second banana (a role he has always seemed to want) and Paul Pierce got to be Paul Pierce (knocking down mid-range jumpers, taking the ball to the rack and posting up smaller threes).

King James got dethroned. The Garden crowd was affecting games like it was the 80s (with the exception of game 3). Doc Rivers broadcast career was put on hold. The Celtics looked to all of a sudden have four potential hall of famers and not just thee. They looked to have been reenergized with their spirit of Ubuntu. It was a great story. But sometimes we can have short memories. Looking back to the beginning of February, the Celtics were just over .500 for that stretch of basketball. They played a James who must be thinking about his future every day on a Cavs team with a below average supporting cast and coach who seems incapable of making in-game adjustments or putting his best five out on the court at any given time.

If were being honest about things here, the Celtics win was fun and amazing and possibly had historical significance in its effect on the league, but it shouldnt make anyone think the Celtics are now the team to beat.

That title goes, without question, to the reigning Eastern Conference champions, the Orlando Magic. Look back at the same calendar that shows the Celtics as a slightly above average team over the past two months, and you will see a Magic team that has lost only twice in two months. Twice. Including the playoffs.

Some will say that the Magic may not be as battle tested as the Celtics, but those are people just looking for some airtime to kill on sports radio. They will say the Magic are not sharp because they have not been challenged. And, while its true that the young Charlotte Hornets and the soon-to-be-decimated Atlanta Hawks arguably were not in a position to advance far in the playoffs this year, the credit has to go to the Orlando Magic. If the Celtics were not given enough credit for beating the Cavs in the second round, the Magic were completely overlooked for their decimation of the Hawks and Bobcats. You dont beat a team by an average of 30 points over four games and then get questioned about your capacity to play in the playoffs.

Much like the Houston Rockets of the 90s, the Magic seem to have perfected the inside-outside game. And when Dwight Howard inarguably the Magics best player can disappear for an entire game and his team can still win by 30, it is proof that its not just the players but the system that is working so well down in the Magical Kingdom. After Hedo Terkoglu left last off-season people wondered if the Magics shooting touch and chemistry would be affected, especially by replacing the Turk with the infamously un-clutch Vince Carter. The Magic didnt miss a beat. Add to the fact that the Magics second best player Jameer Nelson was unable to play at top form last year, and you begin to realize what a feat it was for that team to make it to the Finals and just how could they could really be.

The Celtics may not have to worry about stopping a superstar like Dwyane Wade or James like they did in the first two rounds, but they may end up missing those guys. On a team with so few options, it is much easier to stop the number one threat. When you play the Magic, every man commands attention, because anyone can beat you and the way they rotate the ball to find open looks, anyone will beat you.

The Cavs may have been the fell-bad story of these playoffs and the Celtics the feel-good story in these playoffs, but for my money, the Magic are the story in the playoffs. They are the best team with the deepest bench, the best big man, a great point guar and the best coach. They are the team to beat, and nobody has done it yet.

Prediction: Orlando in 6