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PRO BASKETBALL — May 20
Game 1 — Eastern Conference Finals
DETROIT (+4.5) at BOSTON (Total 173.5) — Detroit really needs for Chauncey Billups to be healthy enough to play. He is still suffering from the strained hamstring, but the rest the Pistons got after eliminating Orlando (six days, to be exact) will be of benefit. Boston has been strong at home in these playoffs, at least as a straight-up winner. But three of the games the Celtics won against Cleveland at the TD Banknorth Garden could have gone the other way, and the Pistons are the kind of team that has what the Cavs did not - namely, great balance in scoring and the kind of confidence that comes from having won an NBA title in the past with their nucleus. Tayshaun Prince is a key player; he can relieve Billups of some of the ball-handling burden, and can be the defensive pain-in-the-neck who can take Paul Pierce, who netted 41 points in the finale against Cleveland, out of his game. Boston has been pushed by inferior opponents thus far, but they ain’t seen nothing yet.
JAY’S PLAY: DETROIT **
