After four days of stage setting ? four days of healing, practicing and planning for the teams; four days of hyping, analyzing and prognosticating for the fans and media ? the Pistons and Bucks at last begin their best-of-seven, first-round playoff series today at The Palace.

The way the Pistons see it, this series isn?t going to be the slam-dunk everybody seems to think it is.

?I don?t understand that,? said Chauncey Billups, when he was told the No. 3 seed Pistons are overwhelmingly favored to beat the No. 6 seed Bucks. ?I consider that team a No. 4 seed, I really do. It?s just that we?ve been playing so well and winning games down the stretch. That?s the only reason we?re favored. All the games we had with them were tough games. They match up well with us.

?All that favorite stuff is for the bettors in Las Vegas. We don?t buy into it.?

All four games between the teams were decided by six points or less.