You want how much?

The game within the NBA game begins 12:01 a.m (EST) Thursday morning. That's when teams officially can make their cases for the services of the league's best free agents.

That's also when teams begin to vie amongst each other for the opportunity to pay these free agents as much money as they have underneath the salary cap.

Teams long since have begun planning and scheming to acquire what they believe is the best combination of talent among the likes of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer, Amare Stoudamire, Joe Johnson, David Lee and even Dirk Nowitzki and Ray Allen.

However, these late-night/early-morning sessions with the free-agents sound more like opportunities to beg, plead and soul-sell more than anything resembling negotiations.

How can a team like the New York Knicks, who decided years ago it was better to eliminate talent, reduce salary and wait for this night, pretend to do anything but beg James for the opportunity to pay for his services?

The Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, New Jersey Nets and Chicago Bulls are kidding themselves if they believe they are negotiating.

These rich and, in some cases, glamorous franchise will reduce themselves to money-laden suckers with no pride and/or self-respect. In most cases, they'll just be giving away big bucks with little return other than appearance and possibly improved attendance.

Only one team can win the NBA title per season.

Instead of begging, these teams should be asking these free-agents to show them why they deserve such lucrative future commitments. Only Wade and Allen among the nine aforementioned free-agents have championship rings.

Each of the others are wanna-be stars. As talented and accomplished as is James, he has yet to win a 'ship.

Amare Stoudamire should be asked: "Why should we give you a maximum salary when you play defense like Casper, the friendly ghost? Can we pay you in invisible money?"

Someone should ask Chris Bosh: "If you're so good, why were the Toronto Raptors 40-42 last season and never made it past the first round in the Eastern Conference since you've been their leader."

Joe Johnson should hear each team ask: "How can you ask for the max when you were absolutely terrible against Orlando in the conference semifinals?"

Another should ask Carlos Boozer: "If we give you the maximum for five years, can you stay healthy? In three of the past six seasons, you failed to play in 52 games and in two of those seasons, you averaged 35 games."

Nowitzki likely will remain with Dallas, but he should hear the question: "Dirk, you've been the man for the Mavs, but why haven't you been able to deliver a title? In fact, had you made two free throws in the final seconds of a NBA Finals game against Miami, D Wade wouldn't have a ring."

Ask David Lee: "Shouldn't you pay us for the opportunity to let you see what it feels like to finish .500 since your Knicks never have done it?"

And yes, Mr. James, we have a question for you: "What the hell happened to you in Game Five against the Boston Celtics in Game Five of the 2010 Eastern Conference semifinals?

We didn't see any of that dancing Rockettes stuff in that game. Instead, we saw the incredible shrinking egotist.

And why the heck are you changing your number from 23 to 6? To respect Michael Jordan? What about Bill 'Freaking' Russell?"

You can't blame teams for trying to improve their respective lots in one fell swoop. However, years (and not very many) from now we may see this instant gratification money give-away isn't the way to go.

Kings' Petrie staying put - so far

Kings owner Joe Maloof said Monday evening none of the teams without general managers - Phoenix, Portland and New Jersey - have asked for permission to talk to Geoff Petrie, the team's President of Basketball Operations.

"I haven't heard from anyone and I don't think Gavin (his brother) has either," Joe Maloof said. "He would have told me if he had."

Said Petrie, "With all due respect to the question and the questioner, the job I'm interested in talking about is the one I'm doing."

What Petrie also would not discuss are his team's plans for free-agency.

"We'll take a look," he said of free agency, "but I can't really talk about that."

Joe Maloof did speak about how pleased he is with Sacramento's recent big-man upgrade.

"I loved our draft," he said of selecting DeMarcus Cousins and Hasaan Whiteside. "And then we picked up Samuel Dalembert (from Philadelphia in the trade for Spencer Hawes and Andres Nocioni). We transformed our team in a two-week period."

The Kings' entry in the Vegas summer league will feature Donald Sloan, Tyreese Rice and Devan Downey at the point; Dionte Christmas, Ryan Thompson (brother of Kings' power forward Jason) and Sylvan Landesburg at shooting guard; Omri Casspi, Donte Greene, Tyren Johnson and Lee Cummard at small forward; Whiteside, Wayne Chism and Jason Ellis at power forward with Cousins, Steven Hill and Connor Atchley at center.

The team will be coached by assistant coach Mario Elie.

Game 5 winner won't necessarily win NBA Finals

The winner of Game Five of the best-of-seven NBA Finals obviously will have two games remaining in which one victory makes it the 2010 champion.

However, a Game Five victory will be no guarantee of a series victory.

The Los Angeles Lakers certainly would gain a huge advantage with a victory and then returning home for Game Six and Seven, if necessary.

The Boston Celtics, armed with a 3-2 lead, would need just one victory in either of those two game in L.A., to win their second title in three seasons.

Yet, I believe it would not be impossible nor totally implausible for either team to win both games in Los Angeles, regardless of the situation. It's more inconceivable to believe people doubt the ability of either team to win a game.

Ultimately, when Game Six arrives, that singularly becomes the focus. There will be only the need to win that game and then it's a Game Seven for all the marbles.

Unquestionably, the Lakers would be glad to play that one at Staples Center, but there's no way the veteran Boston Celtics would fail to relish the opportunity to win that game on the road.

The defensively-oriented flavor both teams utilize almost promise close games that will be won in the final five minutes. That's the way it has been in six games, including two regular-season contests.

Which team can get the most solid performances from the most players? That's what will determine the outcome Sunday, Tuesday and possibly Thursday, if necessary.

If Glen (Big Baby) Davis, Nate Robinson and Tony Allen perform their roles to support the starters, the Celtics will be tough to beat. Conversely, should Ron Artest, Lamar Odom, Jordan Farmar and Shannon Brown chime in with timely contributions, that makes the Lakers a formidable opponent as well.

In that scenario, we've got a sweet game ahead.

Consider: Ray Allen has made eight three-point field-goals, each in Game Two. He's zero-for-14 in the other three games.

What if Kendrick Perkins and Rasheed Wallace each receive a technical and are suspended for the next game for receiving seven during the playoffs?

If the league is going to put those restraints on players, shouldn't a player with seven technicals during the playoffs immediately have to go sit down and then miss the next game? If the NBA is going to penalize, why wait until the next game?

For the record, if you can't play 28 games without getting seven technicals, you deserve some penalty.

Who is going to win Game Five? I have no idea and that's the way it should be.

Around the world in a boat alone? Why?

Call me a nut, but if you are 16 or 17 years old, shouldn't you have better things to do than try to sail alone around the world?

It's great Abby Sunderland was picked up safely Saturday by a French fishing vessel, but what the heck was she doing out there alone anyhow?

It doesn't seem as if sailing around the world with one or even two other people would be less of an achievement. I do understand her brother, Zac, also sailed around the world before her.

Then again, my idea of sailing is on the Circle Line around Manhattan or from Manhattan to Staten Island.

Don't fall for okey-doke

One of the more interesting phenomena during any sports series is how so-called experts (we prefer observers) react to one game. Most become waver masters.

Certainly, see Boston in the NBA Finals after watching Cleveland blow out the Celtics at home in Game Three of the Eastern Conference semifinals should be a lesson to us all.

Those needing more history should think back or look up the 1984 Lakers-Celtics Finals matchup. Larry Bird's Celtics were spanked 137-104 in Game Three in Los Angeles and the Birdman said his team played like sissies. The Celtics won Game Four 129-125 in overtime and went on to win the series in seven games.

Don't get it twisted. We'd rather be with the Los Angeles Lakers, in this instance, ahead 1-0 in this best-of-seven series with the homecourt advantage.

Simply put, every game won is a huge feather in the Kangol. You need four to win.

Yet, the Boston Celtics will be ecstatic if they can heist Game Two Sunday and go home for Games Three, Four and Five with the series tied 1-1.

That, quietly, was their realistic goal when they came to L.A.

Surely, winning both games would have been greatness personified. However, that was such an unlikely occurrence, realism suggested getting one for the Green would be all good.

The Celtics have made their way to this point by handling what is in front of them. Sunday, the only remainders of Game One will be motivation from how they lost and increased intensity because of necessity.

Boston would rather drink spoiled milk than go east trailing 0-2. That is a larger deficit for Boston than a 2-0 advantage for the Lakers, if possible.

That deficit eliminates any margin of error for the Celtics, not to mention giving the Lakers three shots to win their third game and return to L.A. for two games, needing just one to win.

Game One was viewed as ugly by many observers, Lakers coach Phil Jackson included.

Well, wait until Game Two. It promises to be uglier.

Boston will play with a sense of urgency bordering on desperation. Every movement on each end of the court will be challenged. Every thing that can be gotten away with will be used.

It'll be the two old-head squads playing on Sunday morning at the park and only the strong will survive. That will be strength of mind as well as physical.

Boston appears to need a rejuvenated Kevin Garnett. As he moves about the court, the question is whether he's physically capable of using his quickness and length even in the neighborhood of where he once could play.

Garnett's movements appeared unsteady during the season's second half and it could be the length of playoffs have taken away leg strength. There are movements he can make without thought, but many more he cannot.

In many ways, the limited mobility of Garnett and Laker center Andrew Bynum appear similar. They can be productive still, but fluidity in their current physical states is only a dream.

The Celtics more likely will get amped production from Ray Allen, who received at least two bogus foul calls from the uptight and inconsistent officiating crew of Joe DeRosa, Derrick Stafford and Joey Crawford.

Allen still has the NBA's prettiest jumpers and lethal as well. Boston coach Doc Rivers preaches playing together and Allen suffers most when the Celtics fall short.

As poorly as Boston played, Rivers was accurate when noted there were opportunities for the Celtics to get into the game.

If those openings arise again, both teams could head east tied at the hip with a great, albeit ugly season awaiting us all.

Gasol leads Lakers not named Kobe

Pau Gasol's 23 points, 14 rebounds (eight offensive), three assists and three blocks during a game-high 47 minutes helped provide a base for Lakers coach Phil Jackson.

Gasol produced without having the ball pounded into him. Ron Artest, Derek Fisher and Bynum did the same as Jordan Farmar, Lamar Odom and Shannon Brown off the bench.

The Lakers ultimately put the outcome in the ice box in the middle of the fourth with Bryant on the bench.