1988 NBA Playoffs: Celtics Clinch East with Win Over Pistons

4/21/1988

We've all caught this kind of Celtics rise-to-the-occasion act before. What was this, their 1043d certified Big Game played here in the last 30 years?

But what was it with the Other Guys? Did Detroit think this was an exhibition in Saginaw? Or were these the Stepford Pistons in their place?

Whatever, it was hello, Eastern Conference championship, as the Celtics spotted Detroit the first 4 points and then simply whaled the, er, stuff out of the hated Silverdomians, beating them by a far worse margin than the laughably fraudulent 121-110 final score would suggest last night at Boston Garden.

The Boston Panzer Division front line of Kevin McHale (33 points, 7 assists), Robert Parish (25 points, game-high 12 rebounds) and the quietly supportive Larry Bird (22 points, 9 assists) obliterated its Detroit counterparts. McHale (13 for 15) and Parish (10 for 15) set up "Do Not Disturb" signs on the boxes early in the first period, and the obliging Pistons, who eschewed double teaming inside until the game was beyond retrieval, never bothered anyone.

"Flat" does not begin to describe the comatose condition of the Pistons, who played like so many Clippers and Nets, twice falling behind by 26 (83-57, 85-59) in the third period before showing any fighting spirit whatsoever. The Pistons were said to be secretly satisfied merely to have won the Central Division title. Whatever the cause of their languid effort, the dreary score goes up another notch: Detroit has lost 21 straight here.

Of course, the Celtics were (pick one) spellbinding, magnificent, glittering, stupendous or perhaps just plain triple excellent. They were also lucky. They got every fortuitous bounce, every long rebound and, of course, every necessary call, as most home teams do.

They shot 62 percent from the floor in the first half and 66 percent in the second. Much of this had to do with the fact that Boston was regularly shooting from 8 feet and in, and Detroit couldn't do anything about it.

"Our front line had 80 points," said McHale. "It's tough to beat that. It's disheartening for them. We're taking 3-foot jumpers and they're shooting from 15 and 18 feet."

The dominance was established early. Detroit scored the first two baskets, but a follow-up hoop by McHale and a fast break basket by Jim Paxson tied it, and any semblance of Detroit momentum was gone. Chuck Daly picked this night to experiment with a new defensive scheme, one which abandoned the routine double teams down low and altered defensive assignments. McHale, normally guarded by Rick Mahorn, instead found himself checked by Bill Laimbeer. By the period's end, it was evident this was a bad all-around idea. Laimbeer wasn't mobile enough to bother McHale, while the courageous Mahorn, who should be in the Mayo Clinic, or somewhere, having his back checked out (disc problem) instead of making a heroic struggle to play professional basketball, was helpless against Parish. Each Boston big person had 10 points by the period's end, and the team had a 31-24 lead. Then Bird heated up, and by the midway point of the second quarter, it was 45-31, Celtics. Detroit was going nowhere until Vinnie Johnson popped in 8 quickies to get it down to 7 at 48-41.

Here Dirk Minniefield made a play which clearly altered game momentum. He ambled from right to left and then fed Parish with a great shovel pass for a dunk. That collaboration buoyed the team and ignited the crowd, and with 16 seconds left, a pair of Bird free throws had the lead back to 16 (61-45).

Danny Ainge opened the second half with a two and a three, and with that, Detroit was never allowed to think it was in the game. With Bird acting as a feeder ("If Robert and Kevin are open like that, I'll keep getting them the ball"), the Celtics kept moving the ball inside-out and outside-in at will. It was 87-66 and 7:48 into the period before Larry even took a shot and 9:48 into the quarter before he made one (94-72).

Detroit had crept within 16 (95-79) on James Edwards' second buzzer-beater of the game by the period's end, but the Celtics went back to work in the fourth quarter, shooting 10 for 15 and toying with the visitors until the final three minutes.

The Celtics had treated their fans well. No anxiety. No suspense. Just a marvelous display of two-way basketball against a team which currently arouses their deepest negative passion.

"It was satisfying," said Bird. "That's the type of game we like to play against a playoff opponent. With the feelings we have about Detroit, it makes it all the better, to do it here."

Fanwise, yes. What the Celtics would really like, however, is someday to once again do it there.