Chauncey Billups Rested; Spurs Pressured at Home: NBA Conference Finals, Game 4

Starting with tonight’s game four of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Detroit Pistons at the Palace in Detroit, the pressure is clearly on the home team.

The same is true of tomorrow night’s game four of the Western Conference Finals. The pressure will clearly be on the San Antonio Spurs in their battle with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Both home clubs are behind in the series, two games-to-one, and face going back to their opponents’ home courts for game five. Neither wants to go there down three games-to-one.

The pressure, however, is more on the Pistons since they are coming off a double-digit loss to the Celtics’ on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Spurs are enjoying the fruits of their nearly 20-point drubbing of the Lakers yesterday.

But there is also this to consider.

The Pistons are a team that is known for becoming lackadaisical at time and blowing one on their home court. But they’re also a veteran team known for their resiliency and ability to bounce back.

The Lakers, on the other hand, are for the most part a young team playing a corps of accomplished veterans with three NBA championships in the last five years. So, little is known about the Lakers’ ability to bounce back.

In game one, they managed to overcome a 20-point deficit at home despite poor games from Lamar Odom and Derek Fisher. Both of them bounced back in game two.

But yesterday in game three in San Antonio, they played like they did in the series opener in Los Angeles. So, a lot will be riding on whether or not they can put game three aside and duplicate their showing in game two.

If they can do that, it may give Kobe Bryant enough support to overcome the hot hand of Manu Ginobili, who suddenly caught fire after being stone cold in the first two games.

Although Bryant tied Ginobili for game high honors with 30 points, most of those came late when the game was far out of reach.

Earlier in the second and third quarters, he was plagued by the same poor shooting bug that infested Odom, Fisher, and Pau Gasol. All missed easy scores that they would normally make.

For Detroit, the outcome is simple. As Chauncey Billups goes, so go the Pistons. That was evident in the first three games. In game one and game three, his hamstring seemed to be giving him trouble.

Apparently, it was fine in game two as he led the Pistons to a win back in Boston.

It was the Celtics’ first playoff loss at home this year.

If a day’s rest and treatment have helped Billups, the Pistons, with their backs against the wall, should be able to give the Celtics all they bargained for.

If not, look for the Celtics to take a three games-to-one lead back to Boston for Tuesday’s clincher. So, it is really up to Wallace, Prince, Hamilton, and Stuckey to pick up the slack and not let this one get away.

Now is the time when things really get interesting for NBA fans. This is what the regular season is all about—home court advantage.

And this is what the NBA playoffs are all about…taking home court advantage away.