Thursday night's Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals is really pretty simple for the Detroit Pistons: Get Chauncey Billups and Rasheed Wallace on track or expect tonight's game -- and this series -- to be over quickly; the Celtics are 4.5-point favorites (over/under: 172) for Game 2 in Boston.
Billups clearly was still suffering from his hamstring injury, or rust, or both in Game 1's loss. Detroit's point guard and leader was not himself and was badly outplayed by his Boston counterpart, Rajon Rondo.
Billups, the MVP of the 2004 NBA finals, scored nine points with just two assists and two turnovers in his first competition since Game 3 of the Orlando series.
"I needed to play that game," he said. "I don't feel good about the outcome of it, but I feel good having been out there, having seen what it was going to be like in my first game, and I look to make improvements in the second game."
Rondo expects Billups to bounce back tonight.
"Definitely," said Rondo, who had 11 points, seven assists and five steals Tuesday night. "There's a lot of ups and downs in this game, especially in these series. So I'm sure he'll be a lot more aggressive. I've just got to be ready.
"Chauncey may have been hurt, but I wanted to keep him out of the paint and make him take tough shots and keep him off the free throw line."
The one positive for Billups came in the fourth quarter of the opener, when he produced successive field goals on drives to the basket and into the key for a jumper that pushed the Pistons within six points of the Celtics in the final five minutes.
"He wasn't as comfortable coming off screens, looking to shoot it as quick," said Detroit coach Flip Saunders. "He's going to have to be aggressive for us."Meanwhile, one of Boston's stars continues his struggles.
Ray Allen had just nine points in the victory – none of them on outside shots.
From the last game of the first-round series against Atlanta to the first game against Detroit, Allen is averaging nine points on 31 percent shooting.
"I'm not worried about it. I'm really not," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "We're winning games, and Ray's making plays."
Kevin Garnett was a stud in Game 1 for Boston, as Detroit's Wallace was no match.
KG was 11 of 17 from the field for a game-high 26 in the Celtics' Game 1 victory. Wallace? Only 3 of 12 for 11 points. That matchup being that one-sided won't cut it tonight for Detroit, either.
"He was going in the paint more than going away from the paint. That was a point of emphasis not only for Kevin, but overall for our team is that we have to score in the paint," Rivers said.
Betting trends: Pistons are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS loss. . Pistons are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games as an underdog of 0.5-4.5. . Celtics are 12-3 ATS in their last 15 home games. . Under is 13-3 in Pistons last 16 road games. . Under is 4-0 in Celtics last 4 playoff games as a favorite of 0.5-4.5. . Under is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings.
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