Basketball: Back to finals for Spurs and Pistons

While internal strife has torn other recent champions apart, it's back to the finals for the San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons.

They collide in tomorrow's opening game of the finals, marking the first time since 1987 the title series will be challenged by teams who have won the previous two championships.

The Pistons, the defending champions, earned the right to face San Antonio, the 2003 champions, by beating Miami 88-82 on Tuesday, to take their series in seven matches.

"We went through a whole lot this year with the brawl, with guys being out, guys being hurt, coach being sick and things like that," Pistons guard Richard Hamilton said.

"To be in this situation again is a great feeling."

Detroit enter the finals on just two days' rest, while the Spurs have had a week to get ready after eliminating Phoenix on June 2.

The finals are a 2-3-2 format, with the first two games tomorrow and Sunday in San Antonio before the series shifts to Detroit on Wednesday.

Detroit won last year's crown by dismantling the league's marquee team and the heavily favoured Lakers.

But Los Angeles seemed to implode this season after the departure of Shaquille O'Neal to Miami, finishing a disappointing 34-48 and missing the playoffs for the first time in 11 years.

The Spurs' offence is lead by all-star forward Tim Duncan, who will be shadowed in the finals by Pistons' power forwards Rasheed Wallace and Ben Wallace.

Duncan averaged 27.4 points and 13 rebounds a game in the semifinals.