Boston at Detroit

Last game was a shootout, especially for these two teams. We expect a big reversal here in game six. Boston goes for the close-out while Detroit looks to avoid elimination. Paul Pierce said, "It's one of the biggest games that we played all year long." Kevin Garnett added, "We knew the significance of this game. You don't win this game, you basically put yourself in a corner." Based on the importance of this game, we expect defense to to take center stage. Add to that the fact that Detroit's primary offensive weapon, Rip Hamilton, is questionable for this game after straining his elbow in his shooting arm. Both of these teams are defense-first teams. In the playoffs, that has become more apparent. Boston games are averaging 179.3 total points in the playoffs. Detroit playoff games have averaged just slightly more at 181.2 per game. But let's look a bit deeper. Boston has played four game 6+7 games. Detroit has played one game six. In Detroit's game six vs. Philadelphia, they allowed 77 points. In Boston's four "late round" games, they allowed an average of 83.5 ppg. Yes, this total is low, but note that Detroit is 13-4 UNDER this season in games with a total under 180. We like an intense defensive battle here.