***** NBA Playoff Preview - Indiana vs. Detroit ***** From The My Sportsbook
By Warren Blatt, NBA Editor
INDIANA PACERS: 1st Seed, East (61-21)
DETROIT PISTONS: 3rd Seed, East (54-28)
(My Sportsbook) - The two teams with the best records in the East play for the right to represent the conference in the NBA Finals, as the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons meet in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals.
The Pacers, who won the Central Division, finished seven games ahead of division rival Detroit in the regular season and own the homecourt advantage in this series.
Indiana head coach Rick Carlisle hopes to get some revenge on his former squad. In a move that shocked the basketball world, Pistons president Joe Dumars fired Carlisle after the Pistons were swept in last year's Eastern Conference finals by the New Jersey Nets, replacing him with Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown, who is a former head coach of the Pacers. Carlisle had led Detroit to the best record in the Eastern Conference during the 2002-03 regular season and a second straight 50-win campaign. In his first season as the team's head man, he was named NBA Coach of the Year in 2001-02 for orchestrating an 18-win turnaround.
The top-seeded Pacers, who are appearing in the playoffs for the 14th time in 15 seasons, come into this round with an 8-2 record in this year's postseason. Indiana swept the Boston Celtics in the opening round and dismissed the Miami Heat in six games in the conference semifinals.
After winning Games 1 and 2 against Miami at Conseco Fieldhouse, Indiana dropped the next two contests at AmericanAirlines Arena. However the Pacers were able to compose themselves and capture Game 5 in front of their home crowd and clinch the series on the road with a 73-70 victory in Game 6. With win over Miami, the Pacers improved to 6-0 all-time in Eastern Conference semifinals series.
All-Stars Jermaine O'Neal and Ron Artest had solid performances for the Pacers against Miami. O'Neal averaged 20.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and two blocks, while Artest contributed 21.3 points, 5.5 boards and 3.5 assists per game.
The Pacers are a perfect 5-0 as the host in this year's playoffs and have the luxury of the home-court advantage in this series.
Indiana, which had been eliminated three straight year's in the first round, last appeared in the Eastern Conference finals in 2000 when it defeated the New York Knicks in six games. The Pacers would go on to lose in the NBA Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Pacers are 1-4 all-time in Eastern Conference final series. Indiana fell in seven games to the Knicks in 1994, lost in seven contests to the Orlando Magic in 1995, was eliminated once again in seven games by the Chicago Bulls in 1998 and was dismissed in six contests by New York in 1999.
The third-seeded Pistons survived against the Nets in the conference semifinals. Detroit rallied from a 3-2 deficit to eliminate New Jersey in seven games. The Pistons, who captured Game 6 81-75 at the Meadowlands, have won five of their last six contests when facing elimination and Detroit has also captured four straight with a chance to dismiss its opponent from the postseason.
In Game 7 against the Nets, Chauncey Billups scored 22 points and Richard Hamilton contributed 21, as Detroit won its third straight Game 7. All-Star Ben Wallace finished with 18 points and eight rebounds in Detroit's 90-69 win in the decisive game.
Billups averaged 15.1 points and 5.7 assists against the Nets, while Hamilton checked in at 20.6 points and 4.7 helpers per game. Wallace was also solid against New Jersey, averaging 11.7 points and an impressive 14.3 boards.
The Pistons are 5-2 as the host and 3-2 as the visitor in this year's playoffs.
Detroit has been swept in its last two trips to the conference finals. In 1991, Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls ousted the Pistons, who were also swept by New Jersey last year. Detroit is 3-3 all-time in the conference finals.
The last time the Pistons won a conference finals series was in 1990, when Detroit eliminated the Bulls in seven games. The Pistons would go on to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers in five games in the NBA Finals, which gave them the second of consecutive championships.
During the regular season, the Pacers won three of the four meetings. Indiana won twice at Conseco Fieldhouse, while the squads split a pair of contests at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
FRONTCOURT: O'Neal and Artest combine with Jeff Foster to give the Pacers a strong frontcourt. Detroit counters with Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince and Ben Wallace.
The 2004 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Artest will once again be a huge factor on the defensive end of the court. His hard-nosed play will give his matchup fits. He will also be tough to guard on the offensive side of the court, as he can shoot from the outside and is not afraid to drive the lane.
O'Neal is also a solid on both ends of the court, while Foster, who averaged 5.4 points and eight rebounds in the postseason, is capable of scoring garbage points and does not mind doing the dirty work down low. The 25-year-old O'Neal, who is averaging 20.3 and 8.6 boards in the playoffs, will get his points and rebounds. O'Neal's performance can make or break the Pacers.
Rasheed Wallace, who has been bothered by various injuries, averaged just 11.9 points and 5.6 boards against the Nets. He has fit in well with Detroit but needs to be completely healthy for Detroit to be successful up front against Indiana.
Ben Wallace will be the equalizer here, as his defensive intimidation will cause the Pacers problems. With Rasheed Wallace hurting, Prince will need to increase his production. He has averaged 11.9 points and 6.1 rebounds so far in the playoffs.
EDGE: EVEN
BACKCOURT: Jamaal Tinsley and Reggie Miller have done a nice job for the Pacers in the postseason. Tinsley, who has averaged 8.8 points and a team-high 5.9 assists in the playoffs, knows his role is to get the ball to O'Neal and Artest, while the 38-year-old Miller has provided veteran leadership that is crucial as his team moves on in the playoffs. Miller has played in 1125 playoff games in his career.
Hamilton and the 27-year-old Billups are solid. Both play good defense and can score from anywhere on the court. If Billups gets hot, he can knock down threes very quickly, as he made 34.9 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc during the postseason. The 26-year-old Hamilton, who was Detroit's leading scorer in the regular season and is also its top scorer in the playoffs, is not afraid to take the big shot and is simply a very solid basketball player.
Tinsley and Miller are going to have problems with Billups and Hamilton. The Pistons need to take advantage of this matchup.
EDGE: PISTONS
BENCH: Al Harrington, Jonathan Bender, Anthony Johnson and Fred Jones makeup a solid bench for Indiana.
Harrington is the key to the Pacers' bench. He has averaged 10.4 points and 7.4 boards per game in the postseason. Bender, Johnson and Jones have the ability to score and give Indiana depth in case of foul trouble or injuries.
When the Wallaces head to the bench, Mehmet Okur and Corliss Williamson give the Pistons more size and defensive toughness off the bench. The 7-foot Okur can also knock down the short jumper.
Lindsay Hunter and Mike James are the backups for Hamilton and Billups. Hunter and James can both hit the long-range jumpers and understand what Detroit basketball is all about.
Harrington is the difference here. He will have a bigger impact on this series than anyone on Detroit's bench.
EDGE: PACERS
COACH: Brown vs. Carlisle
Brown is one of the best coaches in the history of the NBA, while Carlisle has been nothing but successful in his three year's as a general in the NBA. Detroit's head man has also been in this position countless times and coaching in the postseason to him has almost become a spring ritual.
Brown did guide the Philadelphia 76ers to the NBA Finals in 2001. His experience and Hall-of-Fame status gives him the edge.
EDGE: PISTONS
PREDICTION: This could be a classic!
PACERS IN SEVEN
