Projected Starters:
Celtics: Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Rasheed Wallace, Kendrick Perkins
Pistons: Rodney Stuckey, Richard Hamilton, Jonas Jerebko, Chris Wilcox, Ben Wallace
Health Check: For the Celtics, forward Kevin Garnett (knee) and guard/forward Marquis Daniels (thumb) are out.
For the Pistons, forward Tayshaun Prince (knee) and guard Ben Gordon (groin) are out, while guard Richard Hamilton (flu) is expected to play.
Keep It In Mind: The Pistons are only 10-9 at home this season, and have lost 14 of their past 17 games.
Who's Hot: For the Celtics, Paul Pierce scored 24 points on 9-17 shooting against the Mavericks on Monday.
For the Pistons, rookie Austin Daye scored 16 points on 7-14 shooting against the Knicks on Monday.
Who's Not: For the Celtics, Rasheed Wallace was 0-4 from three-point nation against the Mavericks.
For the Pistons, Rodney Stuckey scored 22 points against the Knicks, but shot a meager 8-26 to get there.
Key Matchup: Ray Allen vs. Richard Hamilton
Honorable Mention: Rajon Rondo vs. Rodney Stuckey
Skinny: With all the injuries Detroit has battled through, it's not surprising they've only managed a season average of 92.17 points per game, good for 29th in the league. Their scoring woes could be helped tonight if Hamilton does indeed return, but expect little offensive production from Detroit's front line, which features Ben Wallace (5.2 points per game), Chris Wilcox (4.7 points per game) and Jonas Jerebko (8.5 points per game).
While Detroit might struggle pumping the ball down low, they might have it equally difficult from behind the arc, as their season average from the nation as a team is only 29 percent. In addition to that, ball movement has not been Detroit's specialty, as they average only 17.32 assists per game.
As usual, the Celtics will have their hands full on the glass - especially Kendrick Perkins - as Detroit has a slew of players capable of grabbing double digit rebounds. If the C's can control the boards and limit their turnovers, they should be able to muscle out a victory over the Pistons. Keep an eye on Charlie Villanueva's performance against Boston's bench tonight.