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For the first time since 1987, the Boston Celtics have reached the NBA Finals, where they’ll undergo yet another nostalgic matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers.

• CELTICS! Hoorah! CELTICS! Hoorah! CELTICS! Hoorah! One, two, three, UBUNTU!

• BEAT LA! BEAT LA! BEAT LA!

• Green 17

Game 1 of the NBA Finals: Thursday (6/5/08) at 9:00 pm ET on ABC.

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Wow… just wow. Of all games played in the 2008 postseason, Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals may have been the most eventful and entertaining, yet awkward at the same time. In fact, it was reminiscent of Game 3 of this very series. The Celtics held a 17-point lead at one point in the third quarter (as opposed to the 24-point lead they held in Game 3), but somehow let up for a stretch and let Detroit back into the game. If it weren’t for Ray Allen’s baseline jumper with 1:02 remaining, which conveniently followed a Rodney Stuckey three-pointer on the other end, the Celtics may have thrown away a heartbreaker.

Regardless, let’s not dwell on the negative shoulda’s and coulda’s. Ray did knock down that jumper. He did make those free throws, as did Kevin Garnett. The Celtics won the game and took a 3-2 series lead, and that is all that matters

• First and foremost, let’s get right to the MVP of the game: Kendrick Perkins. Perk was an absolute monster from start to finish. The fifth-year enforcer racked up 18 points (12 coming in the first half), 16 rebounds (13 coming in the first half), and two rejections in what may very well have been his most impressive professional outing. He may have picked up an unnecessary technical foul in the process, but let’s now allow that tiny mistake to overshadow his performance. “KP43″ (courtesy of Jeff Van Gundy) outworked every player on the floor, dominated the glass, protected the paint defensively, and hell, even showed a relatively surprising offensive touch from multiple spots. The big fella’ was remarkable for the green, and despite Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen combining for 62 points, Perk was undeniably the most important factor to the victory.

• While Perk was doing his thing, make no mistake about that fact that Ray Allen and his left arm sleeve came up big alongside him. Producing flashbacks of Jesus Shuttlesworth, Allen poured in five of six from deep and went for 29 huge points on 9-15 shooting. Ray simply had the touch going for himself in this one, and it paid dividends (especially with Paul Pierce shooting just 11 times). Four of those 29 points came in the final 62 seconds of the ballgame, which virtually sealed the deal for the C’s.

  I hate to steal some credit, but allow me to point out that I wore my Ray Allen t-shirt throughout the day and game. The same shirt I inadvertently sported during Allen’s 25-point Game 2 performance, his game-winning shot in Toronto, and his game-winning shot in Charlotte. That is comforting irony at its finest.

• Rasheed Wallace had the feel as well, as he hit 6-9 from beyond the arc and made the Celtics pay for sagging off of him. “Sheed” poured in 18 points (all from distance), swatted three shots, and provided a colorful venting session regarding the officiating (we won’t go there). Kevin Garnett answered him on the other end, however. “The Big Ticket” led all scorers with 33 points, most of which coming in the form of his sweet mid-range stroke. Granted, five turnovers came with that production, including a costly one down the stretch, but his two free throws in the closing seconds made up for it.

• Despite Ray Allen’s showing, Detroit’s guards were far superior to Boston’s. Flip Saunders’ starting backcourt of Chauncey Billups and “Rip” Hamilton combined for 51 points on 48.4% shooting, adding to strong contributions from Rodney Stuckey and Lindsey Hunter off the bench. On the other end, Rajon Rondo put together an up-and-down game alongside Allen. The second-year guard dished 13 assists, grabbed six boards, came away with four steals, played aggressive defense, and committed just one turnover - all positives - but was completely unable to finish at the rim. Rondo shot just 3-14 from the floor, and didn’t counter with baseline jumpers. While it was far from his worst game of the postseason, the term “erratic” sums it up. That word is also often used to describe Sam Cassell, who contributed a turnover and a passed up layup (I know what you’re thinking - what?). Thank God for Ray Allen, because Detroit’s perimeter play was killer.

• Boston’s bench was virtually nonexistent, combining for just three points on 1-5 shooting and four turnovers. Detroit, however, (surprise, surprise) got another productive night out of rookie guard Rodney Stuckey, who scored 13 points and hit the giant aforementioned three-point shot to cut Boston’s lead to one late in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately for the promising youngster, he bricked a free throw with under five seconds remaining that ruined any chance Detroit had of busting out a miracle. Regardless, without Stuckey, Detroit wouldn’t have cut into the lead that quickly. Lindsey Hunter was also a big factor for Flip Saunders, as his pressure defense was second to none as usual.

  Theo Ratliff worked hard in his 14 minutes of action, but his efforts will be overshadowed by the giant poster he was put on, thanks to Kevin Garnett. Watch the highlights to check that one out.

• Thanks to Kendrick Perkins, the Celtics dominated the glass from the opening tip to the final horn. How badly, you ask? 42-25.

• Neither team played as crisp as they would’ve liked, as each team put together sloppy stretches to combine for 32 turnovers.

• Rip Hamilton sat out the final eight seconds of the ballgame, after injuring his right elbow (yes, his shooting arm) in a tangle-up with Ray Allen. X-rays came back negative, but the All-Star guard was reportedly having trouble tying his shoes and changing his clothes as a product of the pain. He left the TD BankNorth Garden in a sling, and was diagnosed with a strained right elbow. Whether he toughs it out for Game 6 or not, it’ll be interesting to see if it affects his game, mainly his shooting.

Get your popcorn ready for Friday night, ladies and gentleman. We’re in for quite a show, as the Detroit Pistons are in a win or go home situation.

Box Score

Player of the Game

Kendrick Perkins
18 PTS, 16 REBS, 2 BLKS, 2 STLS, 8-11 FG

Series Standings: Boston leads series 3-2
Game 6: Friday (5/30/08) at 8:30 pm ET.

2  @ 2
Eastern Conference Finals, Game 5
Wednesday, May 28, 2008 – 8:30 pm ET
TD BankNorth Garden (Boston, MA)
Game aired on ESPN

After an unsatisfactory showing in Game 4, the Celtics will look to take care of business on their home floor tonight, as the series shifts back to the TD BankNorth Garden tied up at 2-2.Game 4 may not have gone as planned, but let’s not get too greedy, here. Expecting the Celtics to win back-to-back road games was a bit out of the question. At the end of the day, they got the monkey off their back in Game 3 and this series is exactly where everybody thought it would be at this point: 2-2.

Tonight’s Game 5 is a must-win if I’ve ever seen one. The Celtics don’t want to put themselves in a position where they are down 3-2, facing elimination on the road. That’s not where they want to be. The green need to come out with fire in Game 5, play every possession like it’s their last, and take care of business at home.

CELTICS! Hoorah! CELTICS! Hoorah! CELTICS! Hoorah! One, two, three, UBUNTU.

Projected Starters

C Rasheed Wallace / Kendrick Perkins
PF Antonio McDyess / Kevin Garnett
SF Tayshaun Prince / Paul Pierce
SG Rip Hamilton / Ray Allen
PG Chauncey Billups / Rajon Rondo

Key Matchup: Tayshaun Prince vs. Paul Pierce

Pierce shot just 7-20 from the field in both Games 3 and 4 combined. Expect the captain to come out with more oomph and some additional offensive aggression in Game 5. On the other end, Tayshaun Prince is just about due for a big offensive outing himself. Through the first four games of this series, Prince has shot a gruesome 31.5% (17-54); you’ve got to expect him to break out of his shell at some point, right?.

Celtics X-Factor: Sense of Urgency

Initial sentiments restated: The Celtics don’t want to put themselves in a position where they are down 3-2, facing elimination on the road. That’s not where they want to be. The green need to come out with fire in Game 5, play every possession like it’s their last, and take care of business at home.

Injury Report
BOS – Scot Pollard (torn tendon in left ankle – out for season)

Celtics Keys to the Game

• Sense of Urgency
• Defensive Rotations
• Rebounding
• Attack
• Ray Allen
• Ball Movement
• Ball Control
• Bench Play

Yeah, basically everything. Go get ‘em, green.

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NBA.com recap:

The Detroit Pistons provide plenty of fodder for those who want to criticize them for only playing their best when down or doubted.

Antonio McDyess doesn’t.

He often plays with the most energy on a team that traditionally peaks and flops depending on whether its up, even or behind in a series.

Playing his best game playoff game in perhaps a decade, McDyess had 21 points and 16 rebounds to lift Detroit to a 94-75 series-evening win over the Boston Celtics on Monday night in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals.

The 33-year-old McDyess rejuvenated his injury-plagued career when he signed with the Pistons in 2004 - shortly after they won the NBA title - and refused to let a broken nose slow him down this postseason.

“You only have so many opportunities, and they’re limited, especially for me,” he said. “I’m at the end of my career, and I just feel like leaving everything out on the floor.”

McDyess did just that, beating the Celtics to loose balls, defending them with strength and quickness and making most of his shots.

“Dice has been our best player in the postseason, and we’re all feeding off his energy,” teammate and close friend Chauncey Billups said. “You see how hard he is working, and you can’t help but play hard.”

Playing hard probably won’t be a problem for either team or any player as the Eastern Conference finals becomes a best-of-three series.

Game 5 is Wednesday night in Boston, then the Pistons will host Game 6 on Friday night. If necessary, the Celtics will be back at home Sunday night.

Boston’s Sam Cassell wasn’t surprised the Pistons played the way they did.

“When you’re down 2-1, you’ve got to be desperate,” Cassell said.

The Celtics desperately need their stars to play better than they did Monday.

Boston’s Big Three shot awfully as did most of the Celtics, but the NBA’s top-seeded team stayed competitive for much of the game thanks to a stark disparity in free throws.

Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen combined to miss their first seven shots and finished 11-for-38 from the field.

Allen said it was a disappointing performance from the trio.

“We pride ourselves on making our teammates better and allowing them to make us better,” Allen said.

Garnett and Pierce both scored 16 points and Allen had 11.

“They bumped us off spots and were more physical and aggressive all night,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “Usually the winner is the team that was more aggressive.

“They had a no-layup rule and that’s why we made it to the line so much.”

McDyess led the Pistons’ balanced attack, going 8-of-14 - mostly long jumpers.

“He’s really comfortable right now,” Rivers said. “We have to get him out of his comfort zone.”

Richard Hamilton had 20 points, Rasheed Wallace scored 14 and Billups added 10.

Reserve Jason Maxiell filled in well when Wallace was in foul trouble by scoring 14 points and playing tough defense on Garnett, notably on a come-from-behind block on a dunk attempt.

“I thought he bodied him and didn’t give him anything easy,” Pistons coach Flip Saunders said.

Detroit scored the first 10 points of the game and started the second quarter with an 11-2 run, but led just 43-39 at halftime.

The Celtics stayed in the game by making 17 of 20 free throws in the first half while Detroit was 5-for-9.

Boston had more points from the line (32) than from the field early in the fourth quarter when it pulled within 67-62.

“We didn’t play well, but we hung in there by getting to the foul line,” Rivers said. “Then, we just couldn’t make plays.”

Billups essentially sealed the win with a 3-pointer with just under 3 minutes left, making some forget the offensive struggles he had much of the game on his sore right hamstring.

Detroit improved to 5-0 in games following losses in the playoffs.

“No one likes it, the way our team personality is,” said Saunders, referring to the Pistons’ penchant to play their best when down or doubted.

The Celtics fell to 1-7 on the road and 0-6 when trailing after three quarters.

Boston reserve James Posey scored 11 points and Kendrick Perkins, who fouled out, had 10.

The Pistons attacked Boston at both ends of the court as they got off to a strong start.

They led 10-0 thanks to McDyess’ eight points and swarming defense that led to Boston missing its first four shots and later having more turnovers (3) than points (2).

“We put a lot of emphasis on the start because that team is so good when they get on top,” Billups said. “We didn’t want to let them do that again.”

Box Score

Player of the Game

Antonio McDyess
21 PTS, 16 REBS, 1 BLK, 8-14 FG, 5-6 FT

Series Standings: Series tied 2-2
Game 5: Wednesday (5/28/08) at 8:30 pm ET.

2  @ 1
Eastern Conference Finals, Game 4
Monday, May 26, 2008 – 8:30 pm ET
The Palace of Auburn Hills (Auburn Hills, MI)
Game aired on ESPN

WGame 3 of the 2008 Eastern Conference Finals couldn’t have been scripted much better for the Celtics, as they came away with a 14-point road victory to finally get the monkey (or as Paul Pierce said, the gorilla) off their back. No longer can the critics say that the Celtics are unable to win on the road, and no longer can they suggest that the C’s cannot tame the Detroit Pistons.

With a 2-1 series lead, the Celtics will give their best shot at back-to-back road victories tonight back at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Should the Celtics shock the world with two straight road victories, they’d head back home to Boston for Game 5 holding a comfortable 3-1 series lead and the chance at closing the series out convincingly. Should the green lose tonight, they’d head back home all tied up at 2-2, with two of the final three games (if necessary) of the series at the TD BankNorth Garden.

You’ve got to expect Detroit to come out throwing their best punch in tonight’s Game 4, and you’ve got to assume that they will not allow the Celtics to get off to another 15-4 start. Regardless, as Doc Rivers would say, the Celtics need to worry about running their stuff rather than worrying about what Detroit is going to do. As long as the C’s “run their stuff” and match their first half intensity level from Saturday night, they’ll be in good shape.

Projected Starters

C Kendrick Perkins / Rasheed Wallace
PF Kevin Garnett / Antonio McDyess
SF Paul Pierce / Tayshaun Prince
SG Ray Allen / Rip Hamilton
PG Rajon Rondo / Chauncey Billups

Key Matchup: Rajon Rondo vs. Chauncey Billups

Thus far, Chauncey Billups has been “wax on, wax off.” In Detroit’s Game 2 victory, Billups put up 19 points; in Detroit’s two losses this series, he has put up stinkers. Rondo needs to make sure Billups doesn’t bounce back from Saturday’s loss with a big outing, because a red hot Chauncey is the last thing the Celtics need on the road.

Celtics X-Factor: Supporting Cast

In Game 2, the supporting cast shot just under 29% from the field, resulting in a six-point loss for the Celtics. In Game 3, they scored 47 points on 51.6% shooting, helping the C’s come away with a 14-point victory. Asking them to duplicate Saturday’s performance may be a bit over the top, but if the Celtics want to have a chance at stealing another game on the road, the role players are going to have to step up big again.

Injury Report
BOS – Scot Pollard (torn tendon in left ankle – out for season)

Celtics Keys to the Game

• Defensive Rotations
• Rebounding
• Bench Play
• Attack
• Sense of Urgency
• Ball Movement
• Ball Control

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Seventeen games into the 2008 postseason, the Boston Celtics have finally gotten the monkey off their back with a road victory in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Detroit gave the Celtics quite a scare to begin the fourth quarter with their superior energy level and staggering trap defense, but at the end of the day, the men in green uniforms came out victorious. Prior to Detroit’s fourth-quarter mini-run, the Celtics made their presence felt and theoretically dominated the majority of the game through three quarters. At one point, Boston’s lead was 24, and fans at The Palace of Auburn Hills reverted to booing their club.

The main factors for tonight’s victory were as follows:

• Defense: While Detroit simply missed a wide range of open looks, the Celtic defense made a drastic improvement from Game 2’s disappointing home loss. For the most part, rotations were rarely missed, the effort was apparent, and fatigue didn’t seem to plague their fortunes.

• Offense: Boston’s offensive tempo is always a product of their play on the defensive end of the floor, and as mentioned above, they were on-point. That translated to the offensive end of the floor in this one, where the Celtics were able to capitalize off of their stops and show a great deal of offensive aggression. Rajon Rondo led the charge by initiating the tone, and the rest of the guys followed suit. The green shot over 46% from the floor, and based on their attack mindset, were able to get to the free throw line, where they shot 25-30. In addition, the ball movement was excellent as Celtics dished 20 assists on 32 baskets.

• Rebounding: Boston 44, Detroit 28. Enough said, really.

• Supporting Cast: The biggest problems in Game 2 were undeniably the defense and the lack of support from the role players. In fact, it was the only time throughout the postseason that Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce simultaneously had big offensive outings. The issue was that the role players didn’t step up, but they couldn’t have played any better in this one. The supporting cast, meaning everybody outside of “The Big Three,” combined for 47 points on 51.6% shooting, giving the C’s a huge lift on a night where Paul Pierce and Ray Allen shot a combined 9-22 from the floor for just 25 points.

Perhaps the biggest booster for Boston’s supporting cast was starting center Kendrick Perkins, who certainly put together his best road outing since the start of the playoffs. Perk tallied a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds, while giving as much effort as anybody on the floor and playing superb defense throughout. Kevin Garnett may have had an MVP-like stat line of 22-13-6, but Perk deserves the game ball as much as anyone for his efforts.

On Detroit’s side, the number one thing that jumps out at you is the lackluster performance from Chauncey Billups. After a big Game 2 performance in which “Mr. Big Shot” lived up to his title and looked to have made physical progress, there isn’t any question that he was completely out of whack in Game 3. The obvious reasoning could point to his hamstring, but in the playoffs, excuses aren’t to be sympathized. Billups shot just 1-6 from the floor in this one, while rookie guard Rodney Stuckey was called on to fill the void for over 28 minutes of floor time. Luckily for Flip Saunders, the impressive rookie answered the call once again, as he put up 17 points, played aggressive defense, and attacked the basket more than any other player in the building.

Stuckey and “Rip” Hamilton combined for 43 points and 20 free throw attempts, but it wasn’t enough to pull out the W. The Pistons shot just 38.4% as a team, and connected on just one of their 13 three-point attempts. Additionally, Rasheed Wallace found himself in foul trouble, giving Detroit little to turn to defensively on the interior. Granted, that caused Flip Saunders to go with a small lineup to set up an aggressive trap defense that got them back into the game at one point in the fourth quarter, but that effort came bit too late.

Therefore, the Celtics have taken a 2-1 series lead heading into Game 4 back at The Palace. It’s great to get the monkey off their back (or the gorilla, as Paul Pierce put it), and hopefully that triggers an extra gear of confidence going forward, but this series is far from over. The job is just half-done, and you’d have to expect Detroit to come out with a better effort on Monday night.

Stay tuned.

Box Score

Player of the Game

Kendrick Perkins
12 PTS, 10 REBS, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 6-7 FG

Series Standings: Boston leads series 2-1
Game 4: Monday (5/26/08) at 8:30 pm ET.

1  @ 1
Eastern Conference Finals, Game 3
Saturday, May 24, 2008 – 8:30 pm ET
The Palace of Auburn Hills (Auburn Hills, MI)
Game aired on ABC

With the series tied up at 1-1, the 2008 Eastern Conference Finals has shifted to The Palace in Auburn Hills, where the Detroit Pistons will host the Boston Celtics for the next two games.Tonight, the Celtics will face something they have yet to come across as a group: the possibility to trailing in the playoff series. Throughout the first two rounds against Atlanta and Cleveland, the Celtics were never down in a series. They were either in possession of the series lead or it was all tied up. Should they lose tonight, however, Detroit would take a 2-1 series lead. The scariest part about that? Game 4 is in Detroit as well, where the Celtics would have all of the pressure in the world on their shoulders to avoid a 3-1 deficit.

Games 3 and 4 of this series will not only provide the Celtics with their biggest test of the year, but it will also reveal their true colors. Heading into tonight, the green have an abysmal 0-6 road record throughout the postseason, and with Detroit snatching away the crutch of homecourt advantage, the Celtics have no choice but to finally win a game away from the TD BankNorth Garden.

Let’s go, green. Show the world what you’re made of.

Projected Starters

C Kendrick Perkins / Rasheed Wallace
PF Kevin Garnett / Antonio McDyess
SF Paul Pierce / Tayshaun Prince
SG Ray Allen / Rip Hamilton
PG Rajon Rondo / Chauncey Billups

Key Matchup: Rajon Rondo vs. Chauncey Billups

Rondo got the best of a banged up Billups in Game 1, but Game 2 was a completely different story. Rondo filled the stat sheet as always, but the numbers were deceiving, as the second-year guard put together one of his worst games of the postseason from a mental standpoint. Billups undeniably got the best of him, and looked much better than he did in the initial meeting, despite tweaking his hamstring again late in the second quarter. This time, “Mr. Big Shot” is home at The Palace, where he elevates his game nearly each time (especially down the stretch). Rondo is going to have to play his best game of the series, at least defensively, to contain Billups in this one.

Celtics X-Factor: Supporting Cast

Game 2 was the first time of the postseason that all of All-Star Boston’s trio were on offensively at the same time, but they still dropped the game. Part of the reason was awful defense down the stretch, but another big reason was the supporting cast. Outside of Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce, nobody on the roster stepped up to provide a lift. Rajon Rondo didn’t do it, Kendrick Perkins didn’t do it, Eddie House didn’t do it, James Posey didn’t do it, etc. P.J. Brown was the only one to make a big play/shot down the stretch. That cannot happen on the road. The supporting cast needs to provide some help when they are on the floor.

Injury Report
BOS – Scot Pollard (torn tendon in left ankle – out for season)

Celtics Keys to the Game

• Defensive Rotations
• Rebounding
• Bench Play
• Attack
• Sense of Urgency
• Ball Movement
• Ball Control

Marc Spears of the Boston Globe reports:

General manager Danny Ainge and his scouting staff will be rooting on the Celtics from Orlando, Fla., during part of the Eastern Conference finals.

The NBA pre-draft camp is Tuesday through Friday. The Celtics have the 30th pick in the first round and the 30th and last in the second. The draft is June 26. Ainge, assistant GM Dave Wohl, assistant director of basketball operations Leo Papile, director of international scouting Ryan McDonough, and brain doctor Jon Niednagel are expected to represent the team in Orlando. About 70 NBA prospects are expected to play.

“There is a really good chance a player we draft will be in Orlando this year,” Ainge said. “Last year, it was a long shot we’d find a player in Orlando. This year, both picks could be in Orlando. You never know. That’s why I’ll probably be in Orlando instead of [at some playoff games]. We will watch a lot of this Detroit series on TV.”

If the Celtics make the NBA Finals, Ainge and his staff could miss some games while they work out prospects at the Celtics’ Waltham training facility. Ainge said about 50 players will be worked out, and scheduling is in the works.

“We’ve worked out that many before,” Ainge said. “We’ve worked out more. We’ve worked out 75-80 before. Now the window’s a little bit shorter. We’re in the process of confirming dates, workouts.”

Ainge said there are no plans to share workouts with other teams to reduce costs. The Celtics won’t have a summer league team, but tentatively have rookie and free agent camps in Waltham scheduled July 3-7.

I personally like our chances of getting a helpful player at 30. I think the depth of this draft class is better than last year’s draft, especially on the wing (which we may need). Eddie House’s contract expires this summer, Tony Allen’s contract expires this summer, and James Posey has a player option. House’s track record of being on eight teams in eight years suggests that the odds are against him to return next season. Allen’s erratic mental attitude and on-court play may have cost him. As much as I like “TA,” I’m not one to vouch for his return.

Going into these draft camps and workouts, I’ll say that I want a swingman (or a 2-guard). Guys that I like, who we may have a legitimate shot at, are:

• Chris Douglas-Roberts (Memphis)

• Bill Walker (Kansas State)

• Courtney Lee (Western Kentucky)

• Kyle Weaver (Washington State)

• Wayne Ellington (North Carolina)

I also wouldn’t necessarily be mad if we drafted a center like DeVon Hardin (California) or Jason Thompson (Rider).

But overall, I want a swingman to replace “TA” and House.

If Danny trades up a few picks, which could absolutely be plausible, an excellent option would be Brandon Rush (Kansas). I think he’s gonna make a very solid pro. He does just about everything, and he plays both ends. He would be a great addition to our bench right away, and I think he can be a guy who could step in and start for us when Ray Allen goes.

At the end of the day, it also wouldn’t be much of a surprise if we traded out of this pick, sold it, or used it to select a European player to stash overseas. I hope not though, because once again, I think we can get ourselves a nice role player here at 30.

In Danny I trust.

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For the first time this postseason, the Boston Celtics have lost a game at the TD BankNorth Garden. Game 2 of the 2008 Eastern Conference Finals didn’t go as well as the Celtics had hoped. Just by looking at the score, you may be able to figure out what the main issue was: defense. The C’s gave up 103 points and played as shaky defensively as they have all season long on their home floor.

Defensively, the C’s were inconsistent throughout, but down the stretch, they gradually got worse. While the Celtics were capitalizing out of timeouts offensively, they were blatantly missing rotations on the other end of the floor, thus allowing Detroit to counter nearly every bucket in the waning moments of the ballgame. Most notably, Chauncey Billups was left wide open for an uncontested reverse layup at the 18-second mark to put the Pistons up by six and virtually seal the deal.

It was evident that the Celtics made a plethora of mental mistakes throughout this game, but the argument also could be made that fatigue played a role in those missed/late rotations.

Offensively, “The Big Three” was phenomenal for the majority of the game, as they combined for 75 points on 56.8% shooting. Kevin Garnett tallied another double-double with 26 points and 11 rebounds, Paul Pierce put together a solid 26-4-5 line on 9-16 shooting, and finally… finally… Ray Allen showed up. Allen looks to have reestablished his feel, as the seven-time NBA All-Star poured in 25 points on 9-16 shooting, and also managed to knock down multiple big shots down the stretch.

The problem on the offensive end had nothing to do with either of the three All-Stars. The problem was the limited production from Boston’s supporting cast, especially off the bench. P.J. Brown deserves some love for knocking down a pair of mid-range jumpers in the fourth quarter, but other than that, the role players did not play up to par in Game 2. Rajon Rondo may have filled the stat sheet with 10 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists, but those numbers are deceiving. He also shot 2-9 from the floor, made as many mental mistakes as anybody on the floor, and may have put together his worst defensive outing of the postseason. In addition, Eddie House struggled with Detroit’s ball pressure, Kendrick Perkins let his frustrations get the best of him, and the supporting group (meaning everybody outside of Allen, Garnett, and Pierce) shot a combined 6-21 from the field (28.6%).

Detroit, on the other hand, got a big time contribution off the bench from impressive rookie Rodney Stuckey. The first-year guard scored 13 points on 5-8 shooting, and was the major proponent to Detroit’s early-fourth-quarter scoring burst, where he scored six points within the first four minutes of that final frame.

The starting backcourt put Detroit over the top, though. First and foremost, Chauncey Billups played a much better game than he did in Game 1, where he shot 3-6 from the floor. In Game 2, “Mr. Big Shot” came up huge with 19 points and seven assists, and scored the aforementioned game-clincher at the 18-second mark of the fourth quarter. His running mate “Rip” Hamilton led the Pistons in scoring with 25 points on 7-16 shooting, and did a terrific job of drawing fouls (specifically against Ray Allen), in which he shot 10-12 from the free throw line. In Game 1, the All-Star duo combined for five costly turnovers. In this one? Just two.

This puts the Celtics into a position they have never been in before as a group. Should the Celtics lose Game 3 on Saturday night, it would become the first scenario where the Celtics have trailed in a series all postseason long. With that pressure, along with Boston’s 0-6 road record thus far in the playoffs, comes the possibility of heading back to Boston for Game 5 down 3-1. That cannot happen.

Simply put, the Celtics no longer have homecourt advantage as a crutch. If they fail to win on the road, they will be watching June’s NBA Finals from their couches at home. It’s time for the Celtics to answer the call and get the monkey off of their back. They need to go to The Palace and take one from the Pistons, and at least bring this series back to Boston for Game 5 tied up at 2-2.

It’s make or break time; we will now officially find out what this team is truly made of.

Box Score

Player of the Game

Ray Allen
25 PTS, 2 REBS, 2 ASTS, 2 STLS, 9-16 FG, 2-4 3FG, 5-5 FT

* It feels wrong to award the player of the game to a player on the losing end, but this was a special circumstance. Ray Allen finally broke out of the most abysmal shooting streak of his professional career, and despite the loss, it was a relief to see.

Series Standings: Series tied 1-1
Game 3: Saturday (5/24/08) at 8:30 pm ET.

NBA.com reports:

The Boston Celtics’ Kevin Garnett has been named the recipient of the NBA Community Assist Award for April, in recognition of his outstanding efforts in the community and for his ongoing philanthropic and charitable work.

The 11-time NBA All Star and 2007-08 Defensive Player of the Year presented by Kia Motors is being honored for donating more than 600 Celtics tickets to Boston Public School students during the month of April through his Big Ticket Challenge. Garnett’s passion to help young people overcome obstacles prompted him to create a new initiative that encourages local at-risk students to excel in school, while offering them the opportunity to attend Celtics games and the chance to meet the “Big Ticket” himself.

The Big Ticket Challenge involved having students to sign a contract declaring their commitment to improve their school performance. The students that improved the most, as determined by school officials, were then hosted by Garnett at a Celtics game. In addition, one student from each participating school was awarded a special meet-and-greet with Garnett after the game.

Garnett mailed more than 1,000 contracts, accompanied by personalized letters, to students at 14 schools throughout Boston, encouraging students to participate in the challenge and to follow his personal mantra, “Anything worth having is worth working for.”

The program was greeted with great excitement by Boston school officials, “Some of the kids are in a behavioral program and I’ve been trying to find ways to convince them to get their act together so that they can be mainstreamed,” said Andy Tuite, principal of Rogers Middle School. “I believe that the Big Ticket Challenge and Garnett are going to be what helps move these kids forward.”

As April’s NBA Community Assist Award recipient, Garnett will receive the David Robinson Plaque, with the inscription, “Following the standard set by NBA Legend David Robinson who improved the community piece by piece.” Also, a $5,000 donation will be given to Garnett’s charity of choice.

The league presents the NBA Community Assist Award monthly to recognize players for their charitable efforts. The award honors the NBA player who best reflects the passion that the league and its players have for giving back to their communities.