Pistons Throttle Celts

 December 1, 1982

PISTONS THROTTLE CELTICS

The best way to describe what happened to the Celtics' eight- game winning streak is to conduct a little multiple-choice exam. The Celtics were a) fatheaded, b) humiliated, c) pitiful, d) all of the above.



If you choose "d" then you understand why the Detroit Pistons could pull off a 123-116 victory over Boston last night before 11,762 at the Civic Center. And this is no knock on Isiah Thomas & Co., who firmly demonstrated that there is yet another club in the Eastern Conference to be considered when you're making of a list of NBA elite.

The Pistons won in much the same manner as the Celtics have been winning lately. Beyond Thomas' 29 points and nine assists, Boston was outplayed in almost every phase of the game. Maybe it won't happen again like this all year, but the Pistons simply came into this arena and destroyed the Celtics.

For openers, Detroit controlled the backboards, 46-38. Even playing without last year's rookie sensation, Kelly Tripucka, the Pistons put pressure on Boston all over the floor on offense and defense.

The Celtics committed 26 turnovers, 16 in the first half. So dominant was the Pistons' front line that Boston got second shots only three times in the second half, all in the final period.

Detroit was clearly the better running club. Celtics coach Bill Fitch never found the right combination to stop Thomas, John Long and Vinnie Johnson, while the three Pistons guards pressured the Celtics' running game into a schoolyard brand of basketball that was grossly out of synch most of the night.

"Something is wrong," said Fitch, "when you get second shots only three times in the second half.

"You could tell something was wrong. Every time we ran a fast break. You could feel the people up in the 40th row flinching every time we went up the floor. Even up there, I'm sure they could feel something was wrong."

Yes, something was wrong. Boston appeared guilty of not taking the Pistons - minus Tripucka and Kent Benson - seriously. Thomas ran the show like a seasoned pro. He scored 10 of his 29 points in the final period, and helped Detroit maintain a 10-point lead. The score was tied at halftime, 65-65, and Detroit went into the final period with a 99-89 lead.

But it was more than Thomas. Long, playing his first game after missing nine, scored 20 points, 12 in the third period when the Celtics were supposed to take command but didn't. Johnson, who has been brilliant as a starter in recent weeks, contributed 21 points and used his body so well that Fitch had to go to a defensive backcourt of Gerry Henderson and Quinn Buckner in the final quarter just to slow down the Pistons' fast break.

"I think we were just lucky tonight," said Thomas. "Just lucky. We didn't change our game plan any. I just tried to get into position and get a good shot."

Tiny Archibald, who had eight points and four assists in the first half while putting the Celtics back into the game, didn't think it was all luck.

"Thomas played a great game," he said. "You've got to give him credit. If there was a difference in them from the other times we played them, it is that Thomas helped them get their transition game going better, and once they got ahead, they played with more confidence."

Boston didn't bow out without a fight. Robert Parish and Bird each had 29 points, and in the final minute, Boston had a chance to cut the lead to two points with 19 seconds left. When the Pistons went ahead, 117-107, with slightly more than three minutes left, many of the patrons started for the exits. But Scott May's 19-footer with 1:57 to play was the only field goal that Detroit would get the rest of the way. Boston chipped away and with 42 seconds left trailed by four points, 119-115, after a breakway layup by Kevin McHale.

Bird made a heady steal with 24 seconds left, taking the ball from Thomas, and was fouled with 19 seconds left. But Bird made only one of two free throws, and three seconds later, Buckner fouled Bill Laimbeer. The big Detroit center sank two free throws to give Detroit a 121-115 lead, and nothing the Celtics did afterward really mattered.