| Boston Celtics-Detroit Pistons | |
|---|---|
| History | |
| Post Season Meetings | 24–21 (BOS) |
| 1985 Eastern Conference Semifinals | Celtics won, 4–2 |
| 1987 Eastern Conference Finals | Celtics won, 4–3 |
| 1988 Eastern Conference Finals | Pistons won, 4–2 |
| 1989 Eastern Conference First Round | Pistons won, 3-0 |
| 1991 Eastern Conference Semifinals | Pistons won, 4–2 |
| 2002 Eastern Conference Finals | Celtics won, 4–1 |
| 2008 Eastern Conference Finals | Celtics won, 4–2 |
The Celtics-Pistons rivalry refers to the rivalry between two teams in the NBA's Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics and the Detroit Pistons. The rivalry peaked in the late '80s, featuring players such as Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, and Bill Laimbeer. These teams met in the NBA Playoffs 5 times in 7 years from 1985-1991, with the Celtics winning in 1985 and 1987, and the Pistons coming out on top en route to back-to-back Finals appearances in 1988 and their championship season of 1989 and 1991.
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Boston wins series 4–2.
The Celtics had established themselves as the best team in the Eastern Conference for the earlier part of the decade, with 5 Eastern Conference titles from 1981–1987. But with the emergence of the younger Pistons came the first real threat to the Celtic dynasty. The Bad Boys, as the Pistons became known, used physical playing tactics to intimidate their way to victory. This roused the ire of Boston's players and fans, and the teams' mutual hatred of each other often led to on-court fighting. Detroit's biggest antagonists were Bill Laimbeer, Rick Mahorn and Dennis Rodman. In Game 3, Bird and Laimbeer were both ejected for fighting as the Pistons went on to rout the Celtics 122-104.
The most famous moment of the rivalry occurred during Game 5. Leading 107-106 with just 5 seconds left, and threatening to take the 3–2 lead in the series, the Pistons' Isiah Thomas had his inbounds pass stolen by Larry Bird, who quickly dished it off to Dennis Johnson for the winning layup. With Robert Parish forced to sit out Game 6 due to a suspension for punching Bill Laimbeer in the second quarter of Game 5 (the first suspension for a playoff game in NBA history; he also re-sprained his right ankle late in Game 5), the Pistons won Game 6 to send the series back to Boston for a 7th game. The Celtics ended the bitter series with a 117-114 win in Boston Garden over the Pistons in Game 7.
Boston wins series 4–3.
Thomas would get his revenge against Bird in the 1988 Eastern Conference Finals. The Pistons finally unseated the Celtics, winning the series 4–2 and advancing to the NBA Finals to face the Los Angeles Lakers. What was notable in the Eastern series was the fact that the Pistons, who entered the series with 21 straight losses at the Boston Garden, defeated the Celtics by winning two of three games at the Garden (Game 1 and Game 5). In Game 5, the Celtics even led by as many as 16 points before the Pistons rallied to win 102–96. In addition, their rough style of play and intense defense made Bird's scoring drop dramatically, holding him to just 10 points per game on 35.1% shooting, thus forcing the Celtics to rely on McHale.
Detroit wins series 4–2.
In the 1989 playoffs, the two teams meet again only this time the Pistons were the top seed while the Bird-less Celtics were the 8th-seeded team in the Eastern Conference. As expected, the Pistons swept the Celtics, 3 games to 0.
Detroit wins series 3–0.
The Celtics and the Pistons would meet each other one last time in 1991. Similar to the 1988 series, the Celtics had the home court advantage but lost to the Pistons in six games. By this time however, Bird's health had deteriorated, Thomas was injured and both teams had a new set of players.
Detroit wins series 4–2.
In 2002, the Celtics and Pistons meet again in the Eastern Semifinals, now featuring new stars in Paul Pierce and Ben Wallace, respectively. As in the past confrontations between the two teams, they take the personality of each other, the Pistons being physical, defensive-minded ballclub, the Celtics being an old-school fastbreak team that has been their tradition. Though the Celtics go on to win in five, the Pistons obviously began to make its presence felt as they eventually return to championship form and go on to win the NBA title in 2004.
Boston wins series 4–1.
After the acquisition of Kevin Garnett, the Celtics renewed their rivalry with the Pistons. Their first matchup on December 19 saw the clash of the new look Celtics and Pistons, which resulted in a 87–85 Detroit win after Chauncey Billups hit two key free throws. However, Boston still won the season series 2–1. The two longtime rivals clashed in another Eastern Conference Finals, which was their first meeting in an Eastern Conference final round since 1988. The Celtics had to play 7 games each round while Detroit played 6 in the first and cruised by with 5 games in the second. The Celtics managed to win a hard fought series in six games. Boston went on to capture their 17th NBA title, defeating their other longtime rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers, in the 2008 NBA Finals.
Boston wins series 4–2.