|
DETROIT, Michigan: The Boston Celtics rallied in the
final quarter to beat
the Detroit Pistons 89-81 Friday, advancing to the National
Basketball Association finals for the first time in 21 years.
The Celtics trailed 68-60 to
start the final quarter before out scoring Detroit 29-13 in the
fourth to win the semifinal series in six games.
Paul Pierce, who led the Celtics
with 27 points, said his mind was racing at as the final seconds
ticked down.
“I was thinking about getting
this game over with,” Pierce said. “We were up 5 or 6 points and
that buzzer couldn’t come any sooner.
“All the hard years I put in in
Boston and to finally get to this point in my career. There is
nothing better than this.”
With a rich history to draw from,
the Celtics will face the storied Los Angeles Lakers in the finals
which begins Thursday in Boston.
“The crazy thing is I grew up
watching Boston against Los Angeles Lakers playoff series. As a kid
I hated the Celtics. That’s what got me into basketball and now I
am going to be part of basketball history,” said Pierce, who grew
up a Laker fan in Los Angeles.
Ray Allen had 17 points and Kevin
Garnett added 16 points for Boston who have not met the Lakers in
the finals since 1987.
“I been waiting all my life for
this so I am going to take advantage,” Garnett said.
Kendrick Perkins had 7 points and
7 rebounds and also made a crucial shot block in the final minute to
help blunt the Pistons’ late rally.
Pierce iced the victory by making
one of two free throws with 30.7 left to give Boston a 7-point lead.
The Celtics, who avoided a third
straight Game 7 used a powerful 23-6 run in the fourth.
Chauncey Billups scored 29 points
for Detroit, which lost in the semifinals for the third-straight
season.
Richard Hamilton had 21 points
for the Pistons. Hamilton strained his right elbow with 8.2 seconds
left game five but X-rays were negative so he suited up for Game 6.
“We ran out of juice or
whatever,” Detroit coach Flip Saunders said. “We got to a point
where we couldn’t make the big shots we had been making
earlier.”
Heading into Friday’s game,
Boston had been having trouble closing out games on the road in the
playoffs.
They are just 2-7 away from the
TD Banknorth Garden during the playoffs and they know they will have
to play better on the road to beat the Lakers in Staples Centre.
“Ten long years baby. Let’s
go to Los Angeles. Let’s do it,” Pierce said.
Said Boston coach Doc Rivers,
“The Lakers won the west and we won the east and now we get to
play each other. That’s the way it should be.”  --AFP
|
