Jonathan Lee    AccuScore Analyst
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The Celtics took a huge step towards the NBA finals by withstanding a furious comeback by the Pistons and winning the pivotal Game 5.  Boston now has a 76 percent chance of closing out the series and winning the Eastern Conference crown according to AccuScore simulations. 

This was the Boston team we expected to see throughout the playoffs.
Ray Allen and Kendrick Perkins came alive in Game 5 and were huge factors in the win.  Perkins had 18 points and 16 rebounds, and was a man in the middle all game.  He is playing more minutes in this series relegating Leon Powe and Glen Davis to the bench.  Allen found his shot scoring 29 points, and shooting the ball well from all over the floor.  He took several threes in transition, and was 5-6 from distance.  The play of these two alleviated some of the scoring burden from Paul Pierce and allowed the forward to be more of a facilitator (Pierce finished with 6 assists and 18 points).  Kevin Garnett scored 33 points, and is starting to show more aggression on offense as evidenced by his 12 trips to the free throw line. 

Coach Doc Rivers has severely cut down his rotation going essentially with a 7-man rotation, which I think is wise.  Sam Cassell has made big shots, and is a better shooter than Rondo but he does not provide the same kind of energy nor the ability to push tempo in transition.  Rondo needs to continue to play 40 minutes a contest and be allowed to make some mistakes in the quest for easy points.  If the Celtics can duplicate their Game 5 execution and effort NBA fans can start making plans for a historic Los Angeles-Boston championship final.

Chauncey Billups looks healthy, but is Rip Hamilton?
Hamilton strained his right elbow late in Game 5 and is questionable to play Friday night.  Detroit says it will probably be a game-time decision, but you can expect that he will do everything possible to play even if he is not 100 percent.  If he is not able to go, it would obviously be a huge blow to the Pistons.  Hamilton recently set the Detroit franchise record for playoffs games played, and he has been the most consistent player for his team in the postseason leading the team with 21.7 points per game. 

With Hamilton in the lineup, the Pistons are 57 percent favorites according to AccuScore simulations.  Obviously if he is absent or at less than normal effectiveness that number would drop further.  Rodney Stuckey has been playing exceptionally well, but it would be a different task to start and play heavy minutes while being counted on to score points instead of being able to play off the other starters.  Lindsey Hunter would likely see increased playing time as well if Hamilton were not ready.  While he is good defensively he would further hinder Detroit’s offense that has struggled to score at times against the tough Boston team defense. 

The good news for the Pistons is that Billups appeared to be fully recovered from his hamstring issue in Game 5 scoring 26 points while hitting 3 three-pointers.  The question now, aside from the health of Hamilton, is whether or not the team can maintain a higher energy level for 48 minutes.  Detroit showed just how good it can be in the fourth quarter of Game 5, but the deficit was too large to overcome.  Billups needs to push tempo at times and keep up the intensity and focus of his teammates for longer stretches of the game.  With the Pistons facing elimination on their home floor, motivation should not be a problem.

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