Auburn Hills, MI (My Sportsbook) - Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals series between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Detroit Pistons will tip off on Thursday night, with or without healthy backcourts on each team.

Philadelphia's Eric Snow is a game-time decision due to a soft-tissue injury to his right foot. The team's initial fear was that a fracture was present, but x-rays were negative. Snow is still bothered by a significant amount of swelling and acute tendinitis in the foot.

"I have all intentions of being out there. I just will not know what I'm able to do until I get out there on the court," Snow told the Philadelphia Inquirer on Wednesday. "If I'm hurting the team, I'll have to come out of the game."

Aaron McKie will have to pick up the majority of the slack if Snow is unable to compete.

"At this point, I don't have any choice but to be comfortable [at point guard]," McKie said. "So I just want to try to get in there and be as comfortable as I can, and just try to get the ball to the guys at the right spots."

Allen Iverson enjoyed his best all around season as a pro this year. Iverson showed more willingness and tremendous ability to pass the basketball. He may also have to absorb some of the point guard duties.

"It's going to be tough," McKie said, "but we've got guys who can come in and fill in. Allen can play some point."

Meanwhile, the Pistons also have a guard with a bad wheel. Chauncey Billups turned his left ankle after landing on Snow's foot awkwardly. Billups has received extensive treatment on the ankle, but his status for Game 2 is very much in question.

Larry Brown knows that injuries are part of playoff basketball.

"They have a decision with Chauncey, I guess," Brown said. "That's tough. But we've played without guys in big games since I've been around, and you've got to hope some guys step up... . [We] usually respond. It's not going to be easy, especially considering what Eric's situation is going to be like."

Detroit's strength and conditioning coach, Arnie Kander says Billups' ankle is improving.

"It's an inversion sprain; he turned the ankle underneath," Kander told The Detroit Free Press. "I worked on him last night for about 4 1/2 hours; we got out of here about 2:30 in the morning. He left on crutches and came back this morning without crutches. To me that's an improvement.

"He's walking a little bit like Fred Sanford this morning, with a little limp, but overall he looked a lot better this morning than he did last night."

Kander would not reveal whether or not Billups will play Game 2. Reading between the lines, however, it seems unlikely that Billups will play.

The Pistons are going to have to rely on Chucky Atkins to step in for Billups. Ordinarily, this would be a comfortable situation for the Pistons. Atkins has been a starter and contributed in the postseason last year. But he is also less than 100 percent, due to a bone bruise in his knee.

"It's only going to be better with rest and there's no time for that," said Atkins. "It's an injury that takes three or four months to heal and I came back after a month. Right now it's an opportunity for me to go out and play. Anytime an important piece of your team goes down somebody has to step up. Right now I have big shoes to fill because Chauncey has been great for our team this year."

So the stage is set; two teams, two injuries, one series. The team with the players that can play through pain and step up when necessary is the team that will move on to the conference finals.