Eastern Conference Preview

This is the matchup in the Eastern Conference finals that was anticipated when the playoffs began. Although the Celtics were pushed to the limit in both series and the Pistons had some speed bumps and injuries along the way, both teams are right where they were expected to be.
No matter how up and down each team might have been at times in the first two rounds, the important factor to consider is that at the critical moments in each series, both teams held true to form -- with tough team defense and clutch offense from their best players.
Expect this series to mirror the three regular-season games they played -- tough, physical, half-court slugfests that were close in the fourth quarter. Detroit won in Boston on Dec. 19 87-85 then the Celtics won in Detroit on Jan. 5 92-85. On March 5, Boston won at home 90-78 to take the season series.
The NBA's two best half-court defenses have been just that in the playoffs -- Boston has held opponents to 86 points per game on 40 percent shooting, while the Pistons have given up 87 points per game on 44 percent shooting. Both defenses have been suffocating in the half court, and have gotten lockdowns on key players during the most critical possessions of games.