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Pistons host Celtics in Game 3 of East finals

Sat 24th, May 2008

(Sports Network) - The Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons resume their Eastern Conference final series, as the teams battle tonight at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

This best-of-seven series is tied at 1-1. Game 4 is scheduled for Monday at The Palace.

On Thursday, Richard Hamilton scored 25 points, and Chauncey Billups collected 19 points and seven assists as the third-seeded Pistons held on for a 103-97 win over No. 1 Boston in Game 2 of the series, ending the Celtics' unbeaten streak at home.

The Celtics had won 15 straight games in Boston, the last six of the regular season and all nine home games in the postseason. Ray Allen scored 25 points, and Kevin Garnett had 24 points and 13 rebounds for the Celtics. Paul Pierce led all scorers with 26 in the loss.

Antonio McDyess had 15 points and eight rebounds, while Tayshaun Prince scored 14 points and also grabbed eight boards for Detroit, which took control late in the third quarter, and never trailed in the fourth.

Boston is 0-3 in the postseason when Allen scores 20 or more points.

In Game 1, Garnett scored 26 points and Pierce netted 22 as the Celtics defeated Detroit, 88-79, on Tuesday in front of their home crowd.

The Pistons have lost three straight Game 3s in the postseason, while the Celtics have dropped five in a row.

Boston is 9-1 at home and 0-6 on the road in this year's playoffs. The Celtics survived two big scares in the first round and semifinals. They knocked out the eighth-seeded Atlanta Hawks in seven games in the quarterfinals and hung on to defeat superstar LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in an even tougher seven-game set.

Allen, Garnett and Pierce are all appearing in their second conference finals. The 32-year-old Allen made it with Milwaukee in 2001, while Garnett led Minnesota to the West finals in 2004 and Pierce and the Celtics advanced to the East finals in 2002. None of the Big Three have ever won this round.

The last time the Celtics captured the Eastern Conference crown was in 1987. They ended up losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games in the NBA Finals. Boston has lost its last two trips to this round.

The Pistons have advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for the sixth straight year, becoming the first team since the 1984-89 Los Angeles Lakers to reach the conference finals six years in a row.

During its run, Detroit has advanced to the NBA Finals twice and has captured one championship. The Pistons defeated the Lakers, 4-1, in the 2004 NBA Finals and lost to the San Antonio Spurs, 4-3, in the 2005 championship round.

The Pistons, who eliminated Philadelphia in round one and Orlando in the semis of this year's postseason, have made it to the Eastern Conference finals for the 11th time in franchise history. They played Boston in 1987 and 1988, Chicago in 1989, 1990 and 1991, New Jersey in 2003, Indiana in 2004, Miami in 2005 and 2006 and the Cavaliers last year. Detroit is 5-5 in this round.

Detroit is 5-1 at home and 4-3 on the road in this year's postseason.

There is a lot of playoff history between these two franchises. Boston defeated the Pistons in the 1968, 1985 and 2002 semis, and also knocked out Detroit in seven games in the 1987 East finals.

Detroit has also won its share of playoff series against the Celtics. The Pistons eliminated Boston in the 1988 East finals, round one in 1989 and the 1991 semifinals.

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