Boston Celtics win game 1 over Pistons – NBA Playoffs

NBA Obsessed takes you into the hit and run game of NBA Basketball.

Rasheed Wallace is still smiling, standing next to Kevin Garnett. Sheed knows it is a 7 game series and he will get his chance.

Image details: Detroit Pistons v Boston Celtics, Game 1 served by picapp.com

In a game that Boston had to have, it had. Boston could not afford to lose game 1, or even to lose game 2. Until the Celtics can prove to themselves that a road victory can be had in the playoffs, they need to win at home.

The Celtics will get their chance to win on the road in games 3 and 4, but they had better not be looking ahead or the Pistons will steal game 2 on the parquet floor and put the Celtics in a huge hole.

Kevin Garnett had 26 points and nine rebounds and Paul Pierce scored 22 points Tuesday night to lead Boston to an 88-79 victory in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, the Celtics’ 15th straight home win.

Kendrick Perkins had 10 rebounds and Rajon Rondo added 11 points and seven assists for Boston, which earned home court through the playoffs with a league-best 66-16 regular season record. The Celtics rode that advantage to seven-game series victories over Atlanta and Cleveland and held serve in the opener against Detroit.

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It has been a while since Detroit played eliminating Orlando in 5 by playing the hack a Dwight Howard and reducing Superman to mortal “need work on my free throws” man. The rust showed.

In the third quarter alone — when teams in close games need to make a move — here was Chauncey Billups losing his dribble and then throwing it away, here was Rip Hamilton stripped, here was Tayshaun Prince missing a lay-up when Kevin Garnett contested him at the rim, here was Antonio McDyess throwing the ball away, here was Rip stripped again. The team with all the experience, Detroit, committed seven turnovers in that third period.

Seven turnovers?

“That basically blew the game open,” Flip Saunders said.

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So the Boston Celtics won the game they had to by playing inspiring defense and Kevin Garnett had a great day, of more concern to the Pistons was the fact that Rajon Rondo outplayed Chauncey Billups (is his hamstring really back to normal?) and Rasheed Wallace did not wake up from his nap.

Fear not, Pistons fans, Rasheed has been here many times with Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, and a healthy or unhealthy Chauncey Billups. Losing game 1 on the road will not rattle them.

It was to be expected with Boston’s extra loud home crowd that Boston would get off to a high energy start.

Let’s see if the Pistons can steal game 2 on Thursday.

As always, any NBA Basketball related comments are welcome.

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