The Indiana Pacers got there wish Monday night in Detroit. Game one was solely about basketball, unfortunately it was Pistons basketball. What was a close game in the second quarter, got out of reach quickly in the third quarter. The Pacers had no answer for Ben Wallace or Richard Hamilton as the Pistons cruised to a 96-81 win.

Hamilton had 28 points and Ben Wallace had 21 to go along with his 14 rebounds. Jermaine O?Neal led the Pacers with 22 points and 7 rebounds, but most of his scoring came in the first quarter. The Pacers were down by double digits for the entire second half, missing on two opportunities to cut the Piston lead to 10. The Palace of Auburn Hills was a pleasant sight on Monday night. The security kept everything under control with the help of policemen, guards in every aisle, and metal detectors at the entrances.

The Pistons played great basketball in game one of this best-of-seven series. The outcome of the game was eerily similar to the first game of the Pacers first round series with the Boston Celtics. That should give Pacer fans a semblance of hope when it comes to having to win 4 out of the next 6 games. However, coming back on the defending champion Detroit Pistons will be a much more difficult feat.