Capsule Preview Of The NBA Conference Finals

[HawkTodd]

Capsule Preview Of The NBA Conference Finals.

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

No. 1 DETROIT PISTONS (50-32, 8-5) vs. No. 2 NEW JERSEY NETS (49-33, 8-2)

Season series: Pistons won 2-1, with the home team winning every game. New Jersey's Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson did not play in the final meeting, which Detroit won behind 20 first-quarter points from Chauncey Billups.

Storyline: Who gets to be the East's cannon fodder representative for the NBA Finals? Will it be the Nets, who play their best when Kidd, Jefferson and Kenyon Martin get out and run; or will it be the slow-it-down Pistons, who will try to grind every game into a matchup of halfcourt offenses.

Key matchup I: Billups vs. Kidd. Both point guards make their teams go in different ways, Kidd with his passing and all-around creativity; Billups with his scoring prowess and late-game heroics. If either team needs a final shot in a close game, look for one of these players to take it.

Key matchup II: Ben Wallace vs. Martin. Wallace, the league's leading rebounder and shot-blocker, offers an entirely different challenge to Martin, whose defense neutralized Boston's Antoine Walker in the second round. Martin does most of his scoring from near the basket; which is also where Wallace plays to his strengths.

X factor: The Pistons have had the Nets' number over the past several years, winning 25 of the last 28 games between the teams at The Palace of Auburn Hills, and nine of the last 11 overall.

Little Known Fact: Pistons coach Rick Carlisle finished his NBA playing career with the Nets in 1989-90, appearing in five games and scoring just one basket all season. Among his teammates were rookie Anthony Mason and current NBA referee Leon Wood.

Prediction: Nets in 6.

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WESTERN CONFERENCE:

No. 1 SAN ANTONIO SPURS (60-22, 8-4) vs. No. 3 DALLAS MAVERICKS (60-22, 8-5)

Season Series: Tied 2-2, with Dallas defeating San Antonio on the final night of the regular season in a game that was meaningless to the Spurs but important to the Mavs because it gave them home-court advantage for the second round of the playoffs.

Storyline: The Texas Showdown, with an international twist. The Mavericks have players from Germany (Dirk Nowitzki), Canada (Steve Nash), Mexico (Eduardo Najera) and France (Tariq Abdul-Wahad), while the Spurs have an Argentine (Manu Ginobili) and a Frenchman (Tony Parker).

Key Matchup I: Tim Duncan vs. Nowitzki. The MVP of the NBA vs. the MVP of last summer's World Championships. Nowitzki is not a good enough defender to stop Duncan one-on-one, so the Mavericks will likely use an assortment of zones and gimmick coverages. Nowitzki's outside game will draw Duncan away from the basket.

Key Matchup II: Parker vs. Nash. Pure speed vs. pure guile, a matchup of two point guards whose styles are somewhat unique yet somewhat similar, too. The 21-year-old Parker is San Antonio's second-leading scorer in the postseason, though he has been prone to mental mistakes in the closing moments of close games. Nash is the more creative player and a better shooter.

X-Factor: The coaching matchup between Gregg Popovich and Don Nelson. Popovich was once an assistant under Nelson, who is not afraid to try any strategy that might confuse an opponent. Nellie's book of tricks will get a workout as the Mavs try to contain Duncan.

Little Known Fact: Long ago, the Spurs came into existence in the ABA as the Dallas Chapparals. The franchise moved to the Alamo City in 1973.

Prediction: Spurs in 6.