The Boston Globe from Boston, Massachusetts • 44

D6 Boston Globe SATURDAY, MAY 24, 2008 NBA PLAYOFFS Game 3 outcome rests totally on defense By Christopher L. Gasper GLOBE STAFF XJJ The Celtics shot 48.6 per-I cent had 19 assists, and got L.s21 75 points from the Big Three, mm. yet still lost Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals to the Pistons Thursday night. CELTICS NOTEBOOK throughout," said Rivers. "If you watch the playoffs, that's how it is.

You go with the most effective way to help you win a game. What's always key is if the players can handle it. We have a group of players that handles it. That's been the key to our success, the egos are out of the way. They understand that we're trying to win games." Fouls continue to be an issue for the Celtics.

Detroit has gone to the line 59 times in the first two games, making 47 free throws. The Celtics, who have out-fouled the Pistons, 43-39, have shot 36 of 46 from the line. "This cannot be a gamble series," Rivers said. "I think most of the fouls were led to by bad switches, bad. gambles.

Other players try to make up for them and it leads to a foul. I think we got away with it in Game 1, and in Game 2 they took advantage of it." Allen said he was appreciative of the way the Garden crowds supported him through his shooting slump. "The fans have been great," he said. "I've enjoyed playing here on this floor because they've always been so encouraging of me." Allen said he doesn't think his outburst is going to affect the way Detroit defends him. "Regardless of whether they thought I was shooting the ball well or not, you don't want to give somebody who is capable open or free reign," said Allen.

"You have to jump out and make sure that you keep them from waking up. "I don't think they look at it from the standpoint of, "We have to watch out for him They've always known that they have to keep an eye on me. I'm sure they've gone through my plays and Paul's plays and anything that we run for KG, so they're aware of what's going on." View from the bench Sam Cassell recorded his fourth straight Did Not Play coach's decision in Game 2. Yesterday, Rivers said the coaching staff is constantly evaluating who does and doesn't play, but didn't declare if he was going to play Cassell. "We're always thinking about it.

It's not like you stick and stay with one lineup However, Rivers said that win or lose, he had planned to give the team a breather yesterday. "Sometimes you need a mental break. We're taking one, and we'll be fresh tonight," said Rivers. "I don't like to use the fatigue card. I did think before the game that Game 2 could be a fatigue game, but I don't think it's physical fatigue, but yes, from watching the film, there was some mental fatigue." Raising his game Ray Allen's 25 points in Game 2 represented his highest output of the playoffs, and 3 more points than he had scored in his last three playoff games combined.

Allen had hit one of his last 10 3-pointers before shooting 2 for 4 from beyond the arc in Game 2. "I thought Ray had an excellent night I think, confidence-wise, this is what he probably needed," said Garnett. "I know Paul Pierce and myself kept encouraging him, so it was good to see him have a nice game. I thought he was aggressive." "I thought we were a step slow in rotations. I thought, responsibility-wise, we slipped a couple of times," said Garnett.

"When we needed stops, we just couldn't get that one stop to get us over the hump." Rivers pointed out that it takes total team defense to stop the Pistons because they play total team offense. Unlike the Celtics' previous series against the Hawks and Cavaliers, in which Joe Johnson and LeBron James were the defensive focal points, respectively, Boston can't afford to focus on locking down one player because the Pistons find offense from a variety of sources. Case in point, the 15-point performance of Antonio McDyess in Game 2. The difference between here and other series is all five guys can shoot," said Rivers. "It's never three vs.

five against Detroit, it's always five vs. five." A little The Celtics didn't practice before heading to Detroit. Following Game 2, Rivers spoke of a fatigue factor. Game 2 was the Celtics' 10th game in 18 days. That's why coach Doc Rivers was stating the case yesterday that his team's chances tonight in Game 3 at The Palace of Auburn Hills rest heavily on how it plays defense.

Rivers felt the Celtics' defense declined in Game 2, and that was the difference. "That game came down to one team getting a couple of stops and the other team not," said Rivers. "I think that's how the series will be played. It's still going to come down to the end of the game making stops." Rivers said his team has to make crisp-er rotations defensively and be more solid than it was in Game 2. Kevin Garnett, the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year, agreed.

Series of moments shared by two cities Ctv tjVV -a, I sK wm --t:" 4 1' iV jWm- M'M son for the question? "I hate being on his team," said Larry. "We have a practice day and we get on the bus and he says, 'Good morning, and I have to say, 'expletive you, It wasn't just the players on the court. K.C. Jones had no use for Pistons coach Chuck Daly and offered to duke it out with Dapper Chuck during one playoff duel in '85. Appropriately, it happened when the Pistons were hosting games downtown at the Joe Louis Arena.

But most of the iconic moments of this rivalry took place at the Pontiac Silverdome and the Old Garden. The Celtics-Pistons 1987 seven-game conference finals stand as the one against which all others are measured. The Celtics had won three championships in six seasons, but they were getting bid and the Pistons were ready to take over the Eastern Conference. The Bad Boys would vault past the Celtics in 1988, then win back-to-back championships in 1989 and '90, but in 1987 the Celtics weren't ready to yield. With Kevin McHale playing on a broken foot, the Celtics won the first two at home, then got blown out in Games 3 and 4 at the Silverdome (Bird always called the Silver-dome a "gym" even though it was capable of seating 61,983 for a basketball game).

Bird and Laimbeer were ejected for fighting in Game 3, and it was in Game 5 at the Garden that Parish unleashed his fusillade of fists. But Game 5 is best known for The Steal. "People talk about Havlicek stealing the ball," recalls Danny Ainge. "Larry's steal against Detroit was bigger. It won the series." You've seen the footage.

Lazy lob by Thomas Bird intercepts DJ exits to the hoop loss turns into a win Johnny Most goes into his dog-whistle voice. Parish was suspended for Game 6 and the Celtics lost, but it didn't matter. Game 7 was at the Garden and there was no way the Celtics could lose. Boston got one of those "only the Celtics" breaks when Adrian Dantley and Vinnie Johnson cracked heads and Dantley wound up in the hospital. If was after that game that a bitter Isiah said of Bird, "If he was black, he'd be just another guy." Who would have guessed that 21 years later, Isiah's dumb remark wouldn't even register on top-10 lists of his worst moments? After the infamous spring of 1987, the Pistons sent the Celtics home in '88, '89, and '91.

Pierce and Antoine Walker helped beat the Pistons in five in 2002, but no one remembers that one, either. This is different. The Boston-Detroit rivalry is back. Years from now, you won't have to look it up to remember Celtics-Pistons in 2008. SHAUGHNESSY Continued from Page Dl tion only because he was white.

Boston and Detroit are eternally linked in this North American sports universe. Both own Original Six status in the National Hockey League. Both were charter members of baseball's upstart American League in 1901. Both played most of the 20th century in lush green ballyards that opened on the same day in 1912. Both play in states once governed by a guy named Romney.

Ted Williams loved Detroit. Tiger Stadium (then Briggs Stadium) was a lefthanded hitter's dream ballpark and Teddy Ballgame enjoyed his favorite career moment when he hit a game-winning homer in the 1941 Ail-Star Game in Detroit. Ted's "red seat" home at Fenway? Against the Detroit Tigers. The Red Sox and Tigers engaged in a couple of pennant races fluring the Age of Yaz. In 1967, the Sox and Tigers were two of the four participants in the greatest pennant race of all time a year when four teams were separated by a percentage point late in the season.

The "Impossible Dream" Red Sox won the pennant on the final day of the season, but had to wait for the second game of a Tigers doubleheader before pouring champagne. The Sox' first flag since 1946 wasn't official until Boston players huddling around a clubhouse radio heard Ernie Harwell's call of Dick McAuliffe grounding into a double play to end Detroit's season. Five years later, the Sox went to Detroit needing two wins in the final three games to return to the postseason. Alas, Luis Aparicio fell down rounding third base, Boston lost the first two games of the series, and Billy Martin's Tigers went to the playoffs. The Bruins and Red Wings have engaged in seven playoff series since 1927, with the Bruins winning four.

There's virtually no football rivalry between Boston and Detroit Michigan gave Boston Tom Brady. Bill Belichick's dad played for the Lions, but can anyone remember anything that ever happened in a game between the Patriots and Lions? Didn't think so. For the record, the Patriots are 5-4 in games played against the NFL's perennial doormats. Celtics-Pistons is completely different. Celtics-Pistons has delivered the goods.

For the record, it must be noted that Bill Russell's graying champions beat the Dave Bing-Dave DeBusschere Pistons in six games en route to banner No. 10 in 1968, but not even de facto commissioner Bob Ryan can remember anything about that series. The Boston-Detroit basketball rivalry didn't get going until 1984-85, when the then-young Pistons started to flex their muscles with the wildly talented Thomas and the annoying, flopping Laimbeer. Here's how much Bird hated Laimbeer: Each year, at midseason, when the All-Star reserves were announced, Bird's first question was, "Did Laimbeer make It?" The rea FILEJESSE D. GARRABRANTNBAE VIA GETTY IMAGES Heading into Game 3 tonight at The Palace of Auburn Hills, the Celtics have history on their side.

They beat the Pistons, 92-85, there Jan. 5, with Glen Davis (left) scoring 20 off the bench and Kevin Garnett chipping in 15. Celtics can right wrongs Dan Shaughnessy is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at dshaughnessygbbe.com. Sports Bureau.

"Defensively, we just need a great effort," said Rivers. "But I really believe we'll be fine on this trip coming up." After the Pistons took Game 2, Celtics forward P.J. Brown remarked that Detroit played in desperation mode. That's the mode the Celtics are in now because they can't afford to come back to Boston trailing, 3-1. "Urgency, desperation, those are two good words to use because the home-court advantage has really swung in their favor with them having won on our floor," said Allen.

"We got to go and try to get that back." Before they lost to Detroit, the Celtics, who have home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, deflected questions about their road woes by stating that if they won all of their home games, they'd be NBA champions. Well, that's no longer an option, and it was never a realistic one, anyway. "At some point you're going to have to win on the road," said guard Eddie House, "and I don't think there is any better time to do it than now." The Palace this season, scoring a season-defining 92-85 victory Jan. 5, a win that improved them to 29-3 on the season, established them as legitimate title contenders, and snapped Detroit's 11-game winning streak. In that game, which was played at a playoff-like pitch, Boston got a career-high 20 points off the bench from Glen Davis.

"I hope it helps that we won the last time we played there," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "Having said that, even if we hadn't, we still have to go win." Rivers was asked yesterday what the difference has been between his team's road play in the regular season and in the playoffs. He said that during the regular season, his team executed well on the road, rebounding well and playing great defense. "We've done some of those things. We just haven't done them all for 48 minutes, and in the playoffs you have to," Rivers said.

The biggest difference has come on the defensive end. At home, the Celtics have allowed opponents to shoot just 39.1 percent from the field and score 81.6 points per game, but on the road those numbers jump to 45.7 percent and 95.3 points, according to Elias CELTICS Continuedtorn Page Dl series tied, 1-1, and shifting to The Palace of Auburn Hills for Games 3 and 4, the Celtics must find a path to victory on the road or they're heading home for good. Boston gets another crack at an elusive road victory tonight "We have no choice now but to get it done on the road, as well as take care of home," Celtics captain Paul Pierce said following Game 2. "If we're going to win this series, we've got to protect home for the rest of the series and try to get one on the road." Guard Ray Allen, who rediscovered his shooting touch in Game 2, said the Celtics are approaching these road games as a blank slate. They don't see themselves as 0-6 on the road, dropping all three games in series against the Hawks and Cavaliers.

"That was the last two rounds," said Allen. "I don't think we look at it or think about it like it's a hang-up, like we can't come out and win a basketball game because we're not in a building full of green and white." If the Celtics needed an additional confidence-booster, it should come from the fact that they've beaten Detroit at hiiW Era1 4 I a Vlia i I i ii i ii -J tmmtf BARRY CHINGLOBE STAFF With coach Doc Rivers and the Big Three (joined here by Eddie House) leading the way, the Celtics-Pistons rivalry may soon overshadow the great ones of the 1980s. Christopher Gasper can be reached at cgasperglooe.com..