FanHouse

In another of our continuing series, five things to keep an eye out for tonight in the Magic-Pistons epic game this afternoon.

1. Insert Kryptonite Reference Here: The one thing the Magic had to count on in this series was Dwight Howard. They can probably hang if Hedo Turkoglu or Rashard Lewis have off games and are kept out of the penetration. They can manage if the three pointers aren't falling, though it would be hard. But Howard having a bad game? Disaster. Utter disaster. The scheme, the offense, the energy, the soul of this Magic team is centered around Howard. I know it, you know it, and the Pistons sure know it. They harassed and knocked Howard into 12 points and 8 boards. That just won't cut it in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. If Howard doesn't respond in a big way tonight, the Magic are going home in a hole.

2. Excuse Me, Do You Have Any Tape? 'Cause I'm Ripped: Rip Hamilton is matched up with Maurice Evans. That is good for the Pistons, bad for the Magic. Hamilton's ability to constrain the perimeter shooting and get hot on his own is of vital use to the Pistons in this series. Chauncey Billups or Rasheed Wallace will have a bad game, but rarely at the same time. The Pistons need Hamilton to anchor the scoring with his versatility. Granted, the Pistons don't have to score that much with their defense as good as it is, but the Pistons can't afford a dry spell to give the Magic life. The Pistons want to finish this one quick and brutal. Hamilton leading all scorers can do that.

3. Hedo Better Do Better: Yes, I know. Hedo led all scorers with 18 points, to go with 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Point blank, that won't get it done. Hedo Turkoglu is going to need to consistently score 20+ points in this series in order for the Magic to produce the amount of points they need to win. Now, Turkoglu is no LeBron James, but small forward has long since proven to be the swing position for the Pistons' success. If Turkoglu can attack the basket, it'll loosen the pressure on Howard and allow him to work the boards more effectively. Likewise, Turkoglu has an ability to quiet the Detroit crowd like he did with the coast to coast jam in the beginning of the third quarter of Game 1. He's got that type of ability, but he has to be aggressive enough to use it. Oh, and Tayshaun Prince has to quit playing like a man possessed.

4. The Phrase You're Looking For Is "Nearly Flawless": The Pistons had 6 turnovers in Game 1. Jeez. Talk about schooling the little brother. If the Magic are going to get the Pistons out of their tempo, their rhythm, their game, they have to put some pressure on the ball. The Magic have youth and athleticism on their side, and they need to push it. The Pistons are going to push back on you if you try and push the tempo with transition buckets and great transition defense, but you have to wear them down with it. It's not especially familiar territory for the Magic, but they have to adjust in this series. Being bigger than the other team will no longer cut it.

5. The Forgotten Ratliff: Who would have thought this guy would have had an impact? Helping to slow down Howard has been a major part of his assignment. In logging 12 minutes, Theo Ratliff scored 6 points with 4 boards, 3 offensive. Those are all numbers that Dwight Howard could have had. It'll be interesting to see if Flip Saunders keeps throwing a variety of looks at Howard or if he settles into a consistent defensive rotation, especially with the bruised hand.