As the Detroit Pistons easily took care of business in reaching their seventh consecutive Eastern Conference Finals, the Boston Celtics trudged their way through two inferior teams, taking seven games to beat both the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers. But after all of the Boston-fueled drama, we are finally all where we thought we'd be weeks and months ago...Detroit vs. Boston for the right to  play in the NBA finals.
 
Although the specifics of their journeys to the East Finals may be different, both teams eventually made it to the precipice of a title by relying on their superstars and the two best team defenses in the conference. Defense indeed does win championships, but when they are this evenly matched, it often comes down to experience and toughness, a trait the Pistons have in spades over the Celtics.

The Celtics may have home court advantage yet again in a playoff series, but unlike their previous wins over Atlanta and Cleveland, relying on a home sweep over the fearless Pistons is not a recipe for a Boston series win.

Detroit has already proven they can win in Boston, and if they do it again in this series, Boston will have to do something they have not done in two playoff series -- win a game on the road. The Celtics are playing the team they hoped they could be. The Pistons have made a living in the playoffs relying on its Big Four (Chauncy Billups, Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Rasheed Wallace), while getting strong contributions from its bench. But the Pistons have been playing as a unit for years, while the Celtics Dream Team was put together on the fly, with all of the parts not having time, or possibly the youth, to gel in a way that has made a significant difference in the playoffs.
 
Both teams have been struggling with their core, with the Pistons dealing with an injury to Billups, while the Celtics seem to have a psychically injured star in Ray Allen, whose shooting has been beyond miserable in the post-season. The Pistons have been able to rely on Rodney Stuckey to back up Billups, while leaning more on their other scorers, while the Celtics have not been able to generate the necessary offense to make up for Allen's disappearing act.
 
Allen will be tested further against Detroit, as he is hounded by Rip Hamilton on defense and will have to exert energy at the defensive end to keep Detroit's slasher at bay. Paul Pierce was a man on a mission in Game 7 against the Cavs, and he will need that hot streak to continue, as he faces Prince, one of the toughest defenders in the league.
 
The most intriguing match-up may come from the battle of power forwards, as the charismatic and uber-energetic Rasheed Wallace and Kevin Garnett face off in what should be an interesting battle of wills and similar styles. Wallace can stretch out the Celtics offense more effectively than Garnett can, and can rely on the shot blocking help of Antonio McDyess and Jason Maxiell off of the bench. Garnett may have more heart and determination than any player in the league, but with two misses near the end of Game 7, KG's promise of delivering big shots in the clutch has avoided him most of his career, while Wallace has never been shy to take over near the end of games. The passion and energy both players bring to their teams will paramount in setting a tone for the series, one that promises to be a half-court slugfest.
 
Detroit has always been considered a half-court team, so Boston may look to push the pace, but Detroit has shown itself to be adept at all styles in their almost decade-long dominance of the Eastern Conference. With Boston coming in exhausted from two emotional seven-game series, Detroit is rested and should feel right at home on the big stage. With its amazing regular season record and the emergence of the new Big Three, all of the pressure is squarely on Boston. Detroit has made a career of sorts playing with a chip on its shoulders, and while most experts will probably side with the boys from Motown, they will undoubtedly see themselves as the slighted underdog, a moniker that has helped them rev their motors in the past.
 
Look for Detroit's bench and wider array of scoring options to be too much for the Celtics to handle. If the Pistons can barnstorm the new Garden like gangsters on a mission, like I think they will, they will get off to a 1-0 lead in the series, making Game 2 an almost must-win for Boston, something unheard of for a #1 seed. Can the Big Three led by Garnett and a streaky Pierce handle that kind of pressure? It says here that the answer is no.
 
Prediction: Detroit in 6