By Chris Sheridan
The Associated Press

A look at the East first-round series in the NBA playoffs, which start this weekend.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

No. 1 INDIANA (61-21) vs. No. 8 BOSTON (36-46)

Season series: Pacers won 3-1, winning twice at Boston after having a six-game losing streak there.

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Storyline: Larry Bird's present vs. Larry Bird's past in a mismatch extraordinaire - the team with the NBA's best record vs. an outsized opponent that finished 10 games under .500.

Key Matchup I: Ron Artest vs. Paul Pierce. The Celtics won't have even a hint of a chance if they can't get their best offensive player going, and Artest - one of the league's best one-on-one defenders - relishes the challenge of shutting down scorers.

Key Matchup II: Jermaine O'Neal vs. Mark Blount/Walter McCarty. The Celtics simply don't have the size or the talent to match up with O'Neal, who predicts the Pacers will bring an NBA title back to the Eastern Conference for the first time since 1998.

X-Factor: Will the Pacers take the Celtics too lightly, or will they summon the memories of three straight first-round playoff eliminations to stay properly focused?

Little-known fact: Indiana coach Rick Carlisle began his NBA playing career with the Celtics in 1984. He spent three seasons in Boston and was teammates with Boston director of basketball operations Danny Ainge.

Prediction: Pacers in 4.

No. 2 NEW JERSEY (47-35) vs. No. 7 NEW YORK (39-43)

Season series: Nets won 3-1, defeating their cross-rival rivals by 25 points on April 2 despite being without Jason Kidd and Kenyon Martin.

Storyline: The first postseason matchup of these metropolitan area rivals in a decade. The Nets have owned the Knicks over the past 31/2 seasons, going 12-2 in their last 14 games.

Key matchup I: Jason Kidd vs. Stephon Marbury. The two best point guards in the Eastern Conference have not faced each other since being traded for one another in the summer of 2001. Marbury will be facing one of his former teams.

Key matchup II: Richard Jefferson vs. Tim Thomas. Knicks president Isiah Thomas acquired Tim Thomas in large part because of his defensive capabilities, and he will need to contain the Nets' most improved player in order for the Knicks to have any semblance of a chance.

X-Factor: No matter where they play, the crowds will be in the Knicks' corner. "You've got more people that live in New Jersey who are Knicks fans than people that are Nets fans," Marbury said.

Little-known fact: The teams last met in the playoffs 10 years ago when Hubert Davis averaged 11 points for New York. Davis spent the final few weeks of this season with the Nets but was left off the playoff roster.

Prediction: Nets in 4.

No. 3 DETROIT (54-28) vs. No. 6 MILWAUKEE (41-41)

Season series: Pistons won 3-1, with none of the games decided by more than six points.

Storyline: One team (the Pistons) surged at the end of the regular season; the other (the Bucks) slumped its way down to the sixth seed.

Key matchup I: Richard Hamilton vs. Michael Redd. The Bucks have an edge at shooting guard, their All-Star going up against a shooter who cannot match Redd's range. The Bucks have more depth at the position, too, with Desmond Mason coming off the bench.

Key matchup II: Ben Wallace vs. Brian Skinner. Two of the most imposing physical specimens in the league will bang and bully each other, but if Skinner can't keep Wallace off the boards the Bucks will have little chance.

X-Factor: Rasheed Wallace. The Pistons went 20-6 after he was acquired in a trade, and the Bucks have not faced him since he joined Detroit.

Little-known fact: Lindsey Hunter and Darvin Ham of the Pistons were members of the Bucks when Milwaukee reached the Eastern Conference finals three years ago. Joe Smith of the Bucks played for Detroit that season.

Prediction: Pistons in 5.

No. 4 MIAMI (42-40) vs. No. 5 NEW ORLEANS (41-41)

Season series: Heat won 3-1, with the Hornets' only victory coming a day after owner George Shinn met with the players to discuss Tim Floyd's coaching.

Storyline: No one is quite sure what to expect in the postseason from Stan Van Gundy's squad, which closed the regular season with 17 wins in its last 21 games. His stock is rising, while Tim Floyd could be on the way out in New Orleans if the Hornets make a quick exit.

Key matchup I: Dwayne Wade/Rafer Alston vs. Baron Davis. When Wade isn't playing or is shifted to shooting guard, it'll leave a terrific East Coast-West Coast showdown at point guard with Alston - a playground legend in New York - going against one of the finest scorers ever to emerge from the asphalt of Los Angeles.

Key matchup II: Brian Grant vs. Jamaal Magloire. If Grant can contain the Hornets' All-Star center, New Orleans will have almost no other low post options and will have to try to beat Miami from outside.

X-Factor: New Orleans will have a hard time trying to contain Lamar Odom unless the aging George Lynch and/or Stacey Augmon are up to the task.

Little-known fact: Hornets forward P.J. Brown is 3-0 against the Heat in the playoffs since Miami traded him and Jamal Mashburn to the Hornets for Alonzo Mourning.

Prediction: Heat in 5.