Eastern Conference Finals; Boston Takes 3-2 Series Lead To Detroit

       The Boston Celtics defeated the Detroit Pistons in a nail-biter Wednesday night, and they now have a 3-2 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals. Game six will take place at the Palace in Auburn Hills, Mich., as Detroit will look to stay alive on their home court. Meanwhile, Boston has a chance to make a date for the NBA Finals, but will have to win on the road, where they've gone a mere one and seven this postseason.

Before I look ahead to Game six, though, here are a couple things from Game five to review:

• Kendrick Perkins is a beast— while the “Big Three” and Rondo have garnered a lot of attention throughout the season, Perk has not received much recognition until now. "KP43" had 18 points, 16 rebounds and 2 great blocks in last night's win. 

• The Celtics need to run on this Pistons team— Detroit is a better half court team than Boston on both ends of the court. But the “C's” have the fastest ball handler on the court (Rondo), the best three-point shooter on the court (Ray Allen) and the most athletic big man (Kevin Garnett). As seen last night, when the Celtics run the fast break, Rondo is very adept at finding Allen in rhythm for three point daggers. Also, KG has had quite a few fast break dunks that get himself and his teammates fired up. He just better make sure Jason Maxiell is not in the area.

   

• Detroit's physical style of defense bothered the Celtics— when Detroit picked up the defensive intensity in the fourth quarter, they absolutely smothered the Celtics' offense. They trapped hard on every single pick and roll Boston ran, which forced too many turnovers for Boston. That being said, Detroit gets away with a lot of hand-checks (and hip-checks). Boston will have to be aggressive right back at the Pistons and force the referees to make some calls in Game Six.

   

• Also, a note to Paul Pierce: Quit turning your back on the defense when you know the trap is coming! Square up to the basket and pass the ball quickly before they force you into ANOTHER turnover. "You're killing me Petey!" as one coach might say.

Now a look ahead to Game six:

• Back to Paul Pierce: Look for him to be very aggressive offensively in this game— he was not a big factor in Game Five, but this guy has the ability to take over games because he's so multi-talented.

• The Battle of the Benches— despite their Game Five win, the Celtics have a very big problem; they only got three points from their bench. Granted the starters played big minutes, but three points from the bench are not going to cut it during the playoffs. Detroit's bench clearly has much more depth than Boston's. Role players tend to play better on their home court but, if Boston can get some solid minutes from veterans like PJ Brown, James Posey and even Sam Cassell, they will be in good shape to get a win in Detroit.

• Chauncey and 'Sheed are back— Billups returned to form Wednesday, as he scored 26 points. Meanwhile, Wallace hit six threes that kept Detroit in the game There's no doubt that Billups and Wallace will both be in attack mode for Game Six, as they are the leaders of this Detroit team, and right now, the Pistons need both these guys to carry them to Game 7.                                                                                                          

• Boston is horrible at closing games out— after nearly blowing substantial leads in Games Three and Five, Boston fans have to be worried about their team’s mental toughness. The Celtics could not match Detroit's intensity during the fourth quarter of either of the games. From youngsters like Rondo to veterans like Pierce, Boston makes too many mental mistakes in the closing minutes of a tight game. Detroit has to feel comfortable with their chances in a close game, even if they’re down most of the way.

• Finally, if you want to know the winner of this Game Six, you won't even have to watch. Hell, you don't even have to look at the full box score. All you have to do is scan down to Rajon Rondo's stat line. If Rondo has the type of game where he's not only scoring, but racking up a lot of rebounds, assists and steals, then you can safely assume that the Celtics have won the game. When he’s is all over the place, making plays on both sides of the court and controlling the tempo of the game, then Boston will most likely win.

• But if Rondo has the type of stat line that makes you scratch your head and  wonder if he's even in the starting five, then Detroit will most likely win the game. And there will be even more questions about the Celtics' talented young point guard.

       That just about wraps up all of my thoughts on the upcoming game. Both of these teams are so evenly matched that I'm not even going to make a prediction. The basic formula for Boston is: good defense + two of the Big Three with great games + efficient Rondo = Win. 

       For Detroit, it is: great defense + balanced offensive attack + aggressive Billups = Win. Whichever team brings all of the components of its formula will win.