Format the following passage properly, for storytelling purposes. Keep it as written, don't change a single word, but improve grammar where necessary.

From tenth best to the Showdown's first participants. After compiling a list of possible contenders for forthcoming exhibition games in "NBA Showdown '94" for the Genesis, I realized I had enough room to put eighteen teams:the eight playoff contenders from each conference during the 1993-94 NBA season on which the game's rosters are based, plus the ninth-ranked teams (the two that just narrowly missed the cut). Not wanting to burn through two of those eighteen too quickly, I decided to pit 10th-ranked Boston against Sacramento in the initial matchup. It was a rough season for the Celtics, who had lost Reggie Lewis to cardiac arrest on July 27, 1993. Though they started 6-2, they descended into the pit of mediocrity from that point on, staying at or around .500 until just before Christmas. A seven-game losing streak would follow; though they managed to win seven in a row in January 1994, and were 20-27 at the All-Star break, they did not win a single game in February. This 13-game losing streak nailed the coffin shut, and they would ultimately finish fifth in the Atlantic Division with a 32-50 record, missing the playoffs for the first time since the 1978-79 season. With Lewis' passing, plus the retirements of Larry Bird and Kevin McHale over the previous two seasons, Boston was in dire need of veteran leadership; longtime center Robert Parish, who was playing in what turned out to be his final season in Boston before signing as a free agent with the Charlotte Hornets, became the de facto leader of the Celtics for that season. On the other hand, the bar was as low as it could possibly be for the Sacramento Kings, who were legitimately one of the worst teams in NBA during the 1992-93 season, with a 6-16 start essentially killing their playoff hopes before the seed had even had a chance to sprout. They had twice as many losses as wins at the All-Star break, holding a 17-34 record with injury woes having decimated their top contributors, and finished last place in the Pacific Division with a 25-57 record after losing 16 of their last 21 games. On paper, it may not seem like the most exciting game, but both of them came alive, with Sacramento actually getting the better of Boston in multiple areas. One of the unique features found in "NBA Showdown '94"--unique at least when compared to other games of the time, and earlier installments in the NBA Playoffs series--is the "Hustle Board" that appears at the end of a finished game. This shows how each team fared in terms of defensive efficiency, with the total number of blocked shots, rebounds, and steals their players combined to achieve. The Kings led 96-95 on the "Hustle Board," leading in blocked shots (17 to 14) and steals (28 to 26); Boston's big advantage was in rebounds, as they finished with 55 rebounds to 51 for Sacramento. The Celtics would ultimately win 120-106, and were also the first team to reach 100 points, with Kevin Gamble scoring to give them a 100-96 lead with 6:40 left in the 4th period. Gamble would ultimately be named the "EA Player of the Game," finishing with 36 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists. Boston's victory came despite Sacramento having more prolific scoring, rebounding, and assist leaders; Wayman Tisdale of the Kings finished with 51 points compared to 36 for Gamble, while Randy Breuer finished with 12 rebounds to 8 for Dino Radja. Lionel Simmons had 15 assists compared to 12 for Robert Parish. On the other hand, Boston's 'second best' scorer Ed Pinckney had 26 points compared to 16 for Pete Chilcutt, and Boston blocking leader Acie Earl came out one better than Sacramento leader Tisdale, winning that battle 5 to 4. With the Kings out of the way Boston would next set their sights on the Indiana Pacers and took a gamble that they could beat a team that ultimately made it to the Eastern Conference final before losing in seven to the New York Knicks (who proceeded to lose in seven to the Houston Rockets) after sweeping the fourth-seeded Orlando Magic and then upsetting the top-seeded Atlanta Hawks in six games. Though Boston fought gamely--especially near the end when they had managed to nearly vaporize a significant lead for Indiana, and came within one missed three-point shot of a razor-thin victory--the Pacers survived to take it 125-123, defeating the Celtics at the Boston Garden and setting up a forthcoming game against the Portland Trail Blazers. Indiana showed why they were such a solid team in 1993-94, for despite only winning by two points they were the first team to reach 100 points, as Dale Davis scored to give them a 101-89 lead in the fourth period. The "Hustle Board" favored Indiana by a whopping six points, with the Pacers leading 87-81 (including a 16-12 advantage in blocked shots and a 51-48 advantage in rebounds, while Boston won the 'steal' battle 21-20). Dale Davis was named the "EA Player of the Game," narrowly missing out on a triple-double as he finished with 44 points, 12 rebounds, 9 blocks, and 4 assists. Reggie Miller added another 19 points, while Rik Smits had 14 assists on the day. Kevin Gamble proved prolific with his scoring output, finishing with 54 points, while Xavier McDaniel added another 20. Ed Pinckney had 12 rebounds, tying the 12 achieved by Dale Davis, while Robert Parish was good for 8 assists and Dee Brown led the Celtics with three blocks. Indiana now prepares for a Trail Blazers team over which they will almost certainly be favored; despite the combined talent of Clifford Robinson, Clyde Drexler, Rod Strickland, and Terry Porter among others, and despite making it to the playoffs for the twelfth consecutive season, they were bounced out in the first round by the eventual NBA champ Houston Rockets. With a water stream audibly flowing from a nearby sink, I notice my own bladder. It seems the sound serves as an aural 'cue' to go to the bathroom. And yet, I feel like I can take my chances. The sun is out once again, thunder and lightning from the previous evening having dissipated into the ether of history. A dear friend, and one of my supervisors at my weekday job in the JARC kitchen, is filling in as house manager this morning. I hope she will be here tomorrow too, but with life being unpredictable by the sheer nature of its design, there is no way to know for certain if that will be the case or not. Two characters engage in a conversation on a nearby television; in the time it has taken me to write this sentence, I have heard three laugh tracks. I probably could've waited a couple more seconds and heard a fourth; such is life. It is interesting how the power of suggestion works, not only in advertising but as it pertained to comedic programming. It gives me more gratitude for shows like "The Big Bang Theory" which did away with the laugh track completely, preferring for the audience to decide for themselves what is and is not humorous. As a writer I would like for the reader to be able to decide for himself or herself if they are deriving any enjoyment from this content. It may not be your cup of tea, but I must be doing something right if you're still reading at this point. Whatever the day has in store, I hope to be at my best, not only for myself but for those around me. The showcase is coming in a shade under two weeks, but there is no fear. The stage is the best place to be. I can only be myself, yet I somehow become something more. It's where I go from Clark Kent to Superman. An irreplaceable feeling.