NBA Playoffs Breakdowns: Eastern Conference
SI's Marty Burns previews each of the opening round series and makes his picks. Click here to see the Western Conference breakdowns.
1		Nets (52-30) vs. Pacers (42-40) The Nets won the season series 3-1. The Pacers went to all this trouble, just to meet up with Jason Kidd and the No. 1 seed Nets. Complete Head-to-Head Stats		8

Overview The Nets are this year's rags-to-riches tale, having doubled their victory total of a year ago and won the Eastern Conference for the first time since joining the NBA in '76. Now they must prove it was no fluke. They face a red-hot Pacers team that won their final five games to make the playoffs. While New Jersey took the season series 3-1, it hasn't faced Indiana since the Pacers' blockbuster Feb. 19 trade with Chicago. The Nets will win if... Jason Kidd can control the tempo, and Kenyon Martin can control his emotions. If so, the Nets should have enough firepower to hold off the surging Pacers. New Jersey needs the hot-headed Martin to help contain Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal inside. Also, big men Todd MacCulloch and Keith Van Horn must control the defensive glass so that Kidd can get the ball in the open court where he is most effective. With very little playoff experience, the Nets must keep their composure against the more playoff-savvy Pacers. The Pacers will win if... Rookie point guard Jamaal Tinsley can avoid getting schooled by Kidd, and Jermaine O'Neal and Co. can keep the game close until Miller Time. Of course, we're talking about veteran sharp-shooter Reggie Miller, though center Brad Miller can do some damage as well. With newcomers Brad Miller, Ron Artest and Ron Mercer, Indiana has a decidedly different look than it did back in December, when it last faced New Jersey. However, did the Pacers expend too much energy with their late surge to make the playoffs? Key Stats Keith Van Horn led the Nets in the season series, averaging 18.5 points (on 45.3% shooting) and 9.3 rebounds; Jermaine O'Neal paced Indiana with 21.0 points (on 50.0% shooting) and 8.7 rebounds. Did you know? Reggie Miller and Austin Croshere are the only two Pacers left who logged significant minutes for the team that reached the NBA Finals two years ago.

Prediction: New Jersey in 5

2		Pistons (50-32) vs. Raptors (42-40) The Pistons hold the series edge 3-1. What this series lacks in star power will be made up for with tough, physical play. Complete Head-to-Head Stats		7

Overview Under rookie coach Rick Carlisle, the Pistons shocked the NBA world by posting an 18-win improvement over a year ago and their first Central Division crown since '90. As a reward, they get to face perhaps the hottest team in the league, the Raptors. Counted out by experts after they lost 17 of 18 games and superstar Vince Carter to a season-ending knee injury, the Raptors instead came together and won 12 of their final 14 to make the playoffs and complete one of the most amazing turnarounds in NBA history. The Pistons will win if... They rebound the ball. Despite the presence of the league's top rebounder in Ben Wallace, Detroit actually ranks last in the NBA in team rebounding. Pistons big men Zeljko Rebraca and Cliff Robinson must make sure to help Big Ben on the glass in the playoffs or the Raptors, a strong rebounding club, will get too many second-chance points. Otherwise the Pistons have it all: a rock-solid defense, a clear go-to guy in Jerry Stackhouse and dynamite role players. The Raptors will win if... They can keep that Vince Carter guy off the floor. OK, that was a cheap shot. But, seriously, Toronto must continue to do what it finally began to do when Carter went down: play aggressive solid team defense and move the ball. The Raptors, who came within a shot of reaching the conference finals a year ago, have a decided edge in playoff experience. They're also hot, and they've got nothing to lose. If they play like it, they just might be able to keep their amazing run going. Key Stats Jerry Stackhouse averaged 22.8 points (on 37.7% shooting), 5.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists for the Pistons in the season series. Antonio Davis averaged 13.0 points (on 40.4% shooting) and 11.0 rebounds for the Raptors.. Did you know? The Raptors are one of just three teams ('77 Bulls, '97 Suns) in any of the four major sports to make the playoffs after having endured a 13-game losing streak during the regular season.

Prediction: Detroit in 5

3		Celtics (49-33) vs. Sixers (43-39) The Sixers hold the series edge 3-1. A rested and ready Allen Iverson will be quite a challenge for this young, untested team. Complete Head-to-Head Stats		6

Overview These two longtime rivals are meeting for the 14th time in the postseason, but the first since '85. The Celtics were one of the surprise teams of the regular season, riding Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker to their best record since '92. The Sixers, meanwhile, struggled with injuries and lack of cohesion all season. Still, the defending conference champs are among the NBA's best defensively and they expect to have injured star guard Allen Iverson back for the playoffs. The Celtics will win if... Paul Pierce can provide a much-needed post presence and the relatively inexperienced Celtics can adjust to playoff pressure. Boston was the league's most prolific three-point shooting team during the season, and it will need Pierce and others to score enough inside to keep the Sixers from getting out too far on sharpshooters Walker, Rodney Rogers and Tony Delk. Also, with just 60 games combined playoff experience (Sixers center Dikembe Mutombo has 61 alone), Gang Green will need to grow up in a hurry. The Sixers will win if... They can get healthy, and they take away Boston's three-point shooting. Philadelphia fully expects the return to form of Iverson, the league's leading scorer at 31.3 points per game, who sat out the last 14 games with a broken left hand. However, Mutombo (left knee) and Derrick Coleman (left knee) also need to come back strong to take advantage of mismatches down low - especially with Celtics backup center Vitaly Potapenko out of action. With so many tested veterans, and an experienced coach in Larry Brown, the Sixers should be able to pull the upset. Key Stats Paul Pierce averaged 27.0 points (on 35.6% shooting), 6.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists for the Celtics during the season series. Iverson averaged 33.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists for the Sixers. Did you know? The Celtics averaged 23.7 three-point field goal attempts during the regular season, over three more than the next-highest team, Orlando (20.2).

Prediction: Philadelphia in 5

4		Hornets (44-38) vs. Magic (44-38) The Hornets hold the series edge 3-1. The Magic went into a late-season tailspin, losing home-court advantage to these pesky Hornets. Complete Head-to-Head Stats		5

Overview The Hornets struggled through the first half of the season, but won 11 of 13 games in March after star forward Jamal Mashburn returned from an abdominal injury. With a possible move to New Orleans forthcoming, this could be their last dance in Charlotte. The Magic lost Grant Hill to injury (again), but Tracy McGrady got them back in the playoffs for a second straight year. Orlando struggled down the stretch, however, and McGrady has been bothered of late by a sore back. The Hornets will win if... They stay patient and remember to take the ball inside. The Hornets have a huge size advantage inside with big men Elden Campbell, P.J. Brown and Jamal Magliore, and even guards Baron Davis and David Wesley are terrific penetrators. Charlotte should control the backboards as well. The Magic yielded the third-most points in the NBA, so the Hornets will be OK if they focus on staying out defensively on Orlando's three-point shooters. The Magic will win if... Patrick Ewing and Horace Grant can find a time machine to take them back to the mid 1990s, and they can turn the series into a shootout. Also, McGrady must get over his back woes. With long-range shooters like McGrady, Darrell Armstrong, Mike Miller and Pat Garrity, the Magic can do damage. Orlando was the only East team to average over 100 points per game. However, it's going to be difficult to control the tempo unless they win the rebounding battle. Key Stats Charlotte's Baron Davis averaged 18.8 points (on 40.8% shooting), 3.5 rebounds and 11.0 assists in four games during the season series. Orlando's Tracy McGrady averaged 22.8 points (on 44.2% shooting), 6.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists. Did you know? The Hornets are the only playoff team to have a better road record (23-18) than home record (21-20) during the season.

Prediction: Charlotte in 3