Detroit at Boston

[Steve Huffman <stevhuff@eastky.net>]

 Detroit Pistons (5-8) at Boston Celtics (6-6), 7 p.m.

TV
- ----------------------------
SpChNE          W1-14
SpChNE          W1-14   Taped  Replay,  Monday at 11:30  A.M.
Fox-Detroit      W3-19
Direct TV
Prime Star

The NBA on Satellite for Sunday, November,23.
- -------------------------------
Detroit at Boston, 7:00 p.m.-W1-14s, W3-19s
Vancouver at New York, 8 p.m. - F4-6s
Chicago at Sacramento, 9 p.m. - W1-8s
LA Clippers at LA Lakers, 9:30 p.m. - F1-7s

Preview
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This is the first meeting of the season between these clubs.
The Pistons  took all four meetings last season and have
won five straight in the series. The average margin of victory
for Detroit  last  season was 13.3 points.

The Pistons snapped a two-game  skid  with  a  victory  over
the Atlanta Hawks.  Detroit is 2-5 on the road this season,
and 4-4 versus the Eastern Conference.

The Celtics are coming off a split of a home-and-home series
with the Nets.  Each team won by eight points on its own home
court. Boston has won five of six after losing its first five games
of  the  season. Boston is 4-3 at home, 3-2 versus the Central
Division and 5-6 against the Eastern Conference.  The Celtics
have scored 100 points or more in their last five games after
failing to reach the century mark in their first six contests.



DETROIT'S  PROBABLE STARTERS:
- --------------------------------------------------
 Forward  Grant Hill
                 Averaging 19.2 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 8.3 apg... Posted 17
                 pts, 7 rebs, 7 asts, 2 stls and 3 blks versus
                 Portland on Thursday...
Forward  Don Reid
                Preparing for his first start of the season...Has 60
                starts in his previous two seasons with Detroit...
Center    Brian Williams
               Averaging 15.8 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 1.4 apg...Totaled a
               season-high 28 points at Milwaukee on Tuesday
               and a season-high 14 rebs on Thurs. vs. Portland
Guard     Joe Dumars
               Starting and playing his third game of the
               season...Has played just 21 minutes in the
               regular season...
Guard    Lindsey Hunter
               Averaging 18.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.0 apg, 2.2 spg...
               Career highs of 35 points and 53 minutes versus
               Nets last Saturday, hitting 16-18 FTs...

BOSTON'S  PROBABLE  STARTERS

Forward    Antoine Walker
                    Celtics leader in scoring with 20.6 ppg. and
                    rebounding with 10.3 rpg.
Forward    Walter McCarty
                    Averaging 11.3 ppg. and 31 minutes per game
Center      Travis Knight
                    Team's leading shot blocker (19) and 2nd
                    leading rebounder with 7 rpg.
Guard       Dee Brown
                    Has averaged 11.8 ppg. while starting last 4
                    games. Has hit 12 of last 19 three-point
                    attempts.
Guard      Chauncey Billups
                   Rookie point-guard is averaging 10 ppg. and
                   has started last 10 games.


Detroit Pistons (5-8) at Boston Celtics (6-6), 7 p.m.
         -----------------------------------------------------

1997-98 Head-to-head record - First meeting
1996-97 Head-to-head record - Detroit 4-0
1995-96 Head-to-head record - Boston 2-1
1994-95 Head-to-head record - Boston 3-1
Overall Head-to-head record - Boston 170-65
Home Record: Detroit 3-3; Boston 4-3
Away Record: Detroit 2-5; Boston 2-3
Record vs. Atlantic Division: Detroit 3-1
Record vs. Central Division: Boston 3-2
Record vs. Eastern Conference: Detroit 4-4; Boston 5-6

1996-97 Meetings
- ----------------
11/20 - Detroit, 108-83 (at Bos)
12/15 - Detroit, 99-89 (at Det)
01/02 - Detroit, 99-87 (at Det)
02/28 - Detroit, 106-100 ot (at Bos)

Note - Detroit has won five straight after losing
the last three meetings.

Detroit last five games
 -----------------------
11/13 - L at  Seattle, 89-95
11/15 - W vs. New Jersey, 96-88 ot
11/18 - L at  Milwaukee, 79-87
11/20 - L vs. Portland, 87-93
11/21 - W vs.Atlanta,  87-85

Boston last five games
- -----------------------
11/14 - W vs. Toronto, 103-99
11/15 - W at  Philadelphia, 107-101
11/18 - W at  Toronto, 122-109
11/19 - L at  New Jersey, 100-108
11/21 - W vs. New Jersey, 101-93

Ahead for the Celtics
- -----------------------

Nov.  26     Wed.     LA Lakers     7:00  P.M.
Nov.  28     Fri.        Phoenix         7:00  P.M.
Nov.  29     Sat.       at Cleveland   7:30 P.M.

Steve Huffman