Pistons Mutilated Second NBA Playoffs Prey

Pistons drew first blood in Game 1 in emphatic fashion.

Detroit's playoff assassin, Tayshaun Prince, dropped 24 points, Rip Hamilton chimed in with 20 and Chauncey Billups came up with a solid double-double performance of 14 points and 10 assists.

To say that the Pistons were unstoppable in Game 1 could very well be an understatement.

This series was deemed as a NO CONTEST right from the get-go. The Pistons have three more wins to go before they move on to face either the Miami Heat or the New Jersey Nets in the Eastern Conference Finals and here are some of the reasons why the Pistons will do just that.

Rasheed Wallace scored 19 points per game against the Cavaliers this season, about four above his season average. And he's increased his production in the playoffs.

With his ability to shoot from the outside, he can spread the defense and open up things for everyone, especially if the Pistons establish his inside game early on. Drew Gooden shouldn't be much of a problem for the Pistons. Although he has the physical tools, he doesn't always put them to great use.

Richard Hamilton has had a few extra days to recuperate from a tough first round, during which he sprained his left ankle and sustained a deep thigh bruise. But really, the 40-point performance in Game 5 was evidence that Hamilton's game is back on track, rest or no rest.

Cavs shooting guard Larry Hughes played in only 36 games this season with a thumb injury. He hasn't been as consistent an offensive threat as the Cavaliers would like, averaging 12.3 points in the postseason.

Chauncey Billups continued to do in the first round what he's done all season -- he dictated the flow of the game, he exploited mismatches, he got the ball to the hot hand, and when he had to, he took over and hit big shots. As Charlie Bell said at the end of the first round, ''he's my MVP.''

Need I say more? The Detroit Pistons showed in Game 1 why they will dispatch these Cavaliers from Cleveland rather quicker than what they did to the Bucks. Bucks had three guys doing the scoring load compared to the Cavaliers who rely heavily on one guy alone. No.23.

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