Billups must get better for Pistons to prevail

by Jeff Goodman

Updated: May 21, 2008, 1:48 PM EST 526 comments

Unlike Atlanta and Cleveland, they won't even make it to Game 7 against the Big 2½.

"I feel good," Billups said after Tuesday night's 88-79 loss to Boston. "I feel good."

Maybe if he continues to utter those words enough times, he'll actually convince himself. However, Billups certainly didn't look anywhere near the part in the Eastern Conference finals opener. He had just one field goal in the first half and finished with nine points and two assists in 31 minutes.

"I'm fine," he added.

There was virtually no explosiveness and the guy who has been an All-Star in each of the past three seasons was thoroughly outplayed by his counterpart — second-year Celtics floor leader Rajon Rondo.

This is the same player with more than 100 postseason games to his credit in the last five years. He was the MVP of the NBA Finals back in 2004, when the Pistons won the championship.

The Celtics have started each of the past two series in the same manner, with a win at home in Boston — before going all Jekyll & Hyde and falling flat on their face on the road.

But it won't matter how poorly they fare away from the new Garden if the straw that stirs the Pistons isn't able to take over the game when it matters.

"He'd better get it back quick because the game isn't waiting on us to get well," said Pistons veteran guard Lindsey Hunter. "I saw he was hesitant, but it had better take one game for him to get back."

Billups was his usual dominant self in the postseason leading up to the hamstring injury he suffered against Orlando. He had been averaging 21.2 points and 7.4 assists in the previous five playoff games against the Sixers and Magic.

But Billups injured the hammy early in Game 3 and hadn't seen any game action in 13 days.

Chauncey Billups couldn't shake free from Rajon Rondo. (Elsa / Getty Images)

"I think he's healthy and 100 percent, but when you sit out that many days and come back and the first game is a playoff game, it's difficult," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "He'll keep getting better."

He can't get any worse.

Billups wasn't the only one of the over-30 Pistons who was a step behind against the Celtics.

The Detroit Pistons looked old. They were making mental mistakes on defense and couldn't make open shots, either.

Rasheed Wallace appeared as though he was standing in quicksand throughout much of the contest, unable to keep up on the defensive end.

Rip Hamilton finished with 15 points but didn't have a single field goal heading into halftime — even though he had subpar defender in Ray Allen chasing him through screens around the court.

Billups was supposed to be the one knocking down key shots from the perimeter down the stretch. Instead, Rondo (11 points, seven assists and one turnover) buried a deep jumper with 2:40 remaining to push the lead back to double digits. And after a pair of Hamilton free throws, Rondo ended any suspense when he knocked down a wide-open 3-pointer with 1:47 left on the clock.

Hamstring injuries tend to linger. Billups admitted he didn't feel loose until the fourth quarter. By then, it was too late.

Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce had already taken control of the game. KG had an efficient 26 points and nine rebounds, while Pierce added 22 points, six boards and six assists.

If you take away Allen's 3-for-10 performance from the equation, the Celtics shot a sizzling 56 percent from the field.

The Pistons haven't found an answer for Garnett all season. He averaged 24 points in three regular-season games.

"They got Game 1," said an ornery Wallace after the setback. "We good."

Wallace was anything but "good" when he was given the task of trying to contain Garnett. The sometimes-passive Garnett's eyes appeared to light up each time he touched the ball with the 33-year-old Wallace trying to hold him in check.

"We wanted to establish Kevin," Pierce said. "We know the success he's had against Detroit. We feel like Kevin has an advantage almost every night."

He wasn't alone.