Another demonstration of pace happened Tuesday night in Boston, where the grinding Celtics made 52 percent of their shots against Detroit in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, but managed a modest 88 points.

The Cs and their final four pals have been busy proving that efficiency at both ends of the floor is what separates good teams from championship contenders.

This also is a nice way to look at things if you're rooting for the Lakers, who are 15th among 2008 playoff teams in points allowed per playoff game, but a cozy sixth in playoff field-goal percentage defense (43 percent).

Before Wednesday's 89-85 Game 1 win over the Spurs in the Western Conference finals, the Lakers had been scoring at 1.15 points-per-possession clip. That's pretty stinkin' good. Not coincidentally, the Lakers were first in the playoffs in per-game scoring (112) and field-goal percentage (49). Being able to play reasonably good defense — based on possessions in a faster tempo — against two of the league's top point-producing teams (Denver and Utah) has enabled Phil Jackson's team to maintain the upper hand because the teams they were up against were only 14th and ninth, respectively in field-goal percentage defense in the postseason.

Based on instinct, it would seem that things should become a bit iffier for the Lakers against the Spurs. But San Antonio is only 10th in playoff field-goal percentage defense. What gives? Well, the Spurs' two playoff opponents were the Suns and New Orleans Hornets. Sometimes numbers leave out a few important variables.

That explains the numbers, but may not help the Spurs much against a Lakers team that has Bryant as an overriding factor when strategy is diminished late in a shot clock, game or series. Kobe proved that in Game 1, scoring 25 of his 27 points in the second half, including the go-ahead shot with 23.9 ticks on the clock.

The Lakers' offensive precision also should be a boon to their defense; fewer missed shots and turnovers mean fewer fast-break opportunities for the opposition.

But the Spurs (in addition to championship experience) are no slouches when it comes to excelling at both ends. Their long-established defensive chops came in handy when they won Game 7 in New Orleans despite shooting less than 40 percent from the field.

Solid overall play shouldn't be a Finals problem for the team surviving the Detroit-Boston series. While playoff points per game are unimpressive, the Cs (seventh) and Pistons (fifth) are solid in points per possession among the 16 playoff teams.

"That's tough to do," said an assistant coach currently employed by an NBA team that finished its season a while ago, "because Eastern Conference playoff games certainly appear to be officiated differently. Everyone would deny it, but the level of holding and bumping against ballhandlers in the East is ridiculously high. LeBron James could have been at the line on every drive if he had that much contact in the West."

It'll be interesting to see how that — and everything else — plays out when East meets West in a couple of weeks.

While crucial stops may separate the gold from the silver, don't underestimate the glory-grabbing potential of offensive execution.

So, rather than removing "Defense wins championships!" from our aforementioned list, let's allow it to keep company with a few conspiracy chants.

In the meantime, we'll offer a new battle cry that goes something like this:

"Balance wins championships!"

Maybe it'll catch on.