NBA: Cavs, Pistons open East finals at The Palace

(Sports Network) - The top-seeded Detroit Pistons continue their quest to advance to the NBA Finals for the third time in the last four years, as they welcome the second-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers tonight to The Palace of Auburn Hills for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Game 2 of this best-of-seven series is scheduled for Thursday at The Palace.

This is the second time that these teams have met in the postseason. Last year, the Pistons knocked out Cleveland in seven games in the East semis. The Cavaliers led the series 3-2, but lost Game 6, 84-82, at home and were then eliminated in Game 7, 79-61, at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

The Pistons have made it to the Eastern Conference finals for the fifth straight year and 10th time in franchise history. They played Boston in 1987 and 1988, Chicago in 1989, 1990 and 1991, New Jersey in 2003, Indiana in 2004 and Miami in 2005 and 2006. Detroit is 5-4 in this round.

Detroit won its fifth Central Division title in the past six seasons during the 2006-07 campaign. The top-seeded Pistons, who have reached the postseason for a sixth straight year, fell in six games against the Heat in last year's Eastern Conference finals. The Pistons are the No. 1 seed for the third time in four years and have owned home-court advantage throughout the East playoffs.