Celtics Stay Perfect on Parquet in Playoffs
Posted on: Wednesday, 21 May 2008, 06:00 CDT
By Jeff Zillgitt
BOSTON -- The Boston Celtics were supposed to be tired after going seven games in both previous playoff series.
The Detroit Pistons were supposed to be fresh, coming off six days' rest and a five-game series vs. the Orlando Magic.
For a game, rhythm beat rest.
Feeding off the energy provided by a boisterous crowd at TD Banknorth Garden, the Celtics -- playing two days after vanquishing the Cleveland Cavaliers -- continued their home-court mastery and defeated Detroit 88-79 Tuesday in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. Boston is 9-0 at home in the playoffs and has won 15 in a row on its parquet floor.
"This was the perfect game for them to come and try to steal one, and we were aware of that," the Celtics' Paul Pierce said. "They probably figured we were tired from the last series. We just came out with extra focus and extra energy at the start of the game."
Game 2 is Thursday night (8:30 ET, ESPN) in Boston.
The usual suspects carried Boston to victory. Do-it-all forward Kevin Garnett scored 26 points, collected nine rebounds and delivered four assists. Pierce contributed 22 points, and Rajon Rondo added 11. However, Ray Allen scored nine and remains in a postseason slump.
Celtics coach Doc Rivers deftly went deeper into his bench earlier than in previous games. P.J. Brown, James Posey, Leon Powe and Eddie House devoured valuable minutes.
And again, the Celtics played their brand of suffocating defense. Detroit coach Flip Saunders said his team couldn't shoot 39% vs. Boston and expect to win. He wasn't far off the mark. Detroit shot 42%, and Rasheed Wallace and Chauncey Billups, who played for the first time after missing the final two games of the Orlando series, struggled.
"We just didn't seem to be in a good flow," Saunders said. "It might have had something to do with (the layoff). We were just a step slow."
Source: USA TODAY
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