Pistons Boil Celtics in Pressure Cooker: ECF Pistons-Celtics Game Two

After a nonchalant game one performance from the Pistons, Detroit turned on the energy in game two.

The result was an impressive 103-97 victory.

Detroit set the tone on the defensive end. Every Celtics’ dribble was challenged, every pass was contested, screens were hedged aggressively, and players covered for teammates with alert rotations.

As a result, Boston’s offense was stodgy, and the offense bogged down into too many one-on-one attacks by Celtics’ players.

Sure, Paul Pierce had an impressive game—9-16 FG, 26 PTS—but most of Pierce’s points were put up on outstanding individual efforts against Tayshaun Prince rather than harmonious play-calling.

And whereas Rasheed Wallace sleepwalked through his defensive matchup on Kevin Garnett in game one, Antonio McDyess was much more earnest, banging, bumping, and forcing Garnett out of the post.

Garnett was still effective—11-19 FG, 13 REB, 24 PTS— but he was little more than an oversized jump shooter.

The most telling indicator of Boston’s disrupted cohesion was the play of the role players.

Rajon Rondo forced too many passes, passed up too many open looks, missed too many layups, and looked too young and inexperienced to be a factor.

Often times, Rip Hamilton or Chauncey Billups would abandon assignments on Rondo, gambling on picking off dribbles elsewhere, one reason for Paul Pierce’s four turnovers.

In fact, Billups, Hamilton, Lindsey Hunter, and Rodney Stuckey were each able to use their lightning-quick hands to combine for four steals.

Kendrick Perkins, Tony Allen, James Posey, and Leon Powe were harassed into missed shots or mental mistakes.

In fact, only P.J. Brown hitting two baseline jumpers and Ray Allen waking up from his playoff coma, showed any signs of life on the Celtic front.

On the other side of the ball, Detroit’s offense had slightly more motion in it, especially in crunch time when Flip Saunders curled Rip Hamilton through screen after screen.

This gameplan resulted in a Hamilton jumper off a curl, a Hamilton assist to McDyess after Boston trapped the curl, and a Hamilton curl leading into a screen/roll with Rasheed Wallace burying a three ball.

Until the final quarter, Detroit’s simple cross-cuts and screen/rolls didn’t open up anything as the Celtics took away the first, second, and even the third options.

However, even the hint of motion and off-ball action forced each Celtic to play defense for 20 seconds plus, and kept Boston from zoning in on one particular player.

This is why Detroit’s isolations resulting in better games for Hamilton (25 PTS), Billups (19 PTS), and Prince (14 PTS).

Antonio McDyess’ defensive rotations have picked up as the season has gone on. He played terrific denial defense on Garnet, and his flashing and popping (7-12 FG, 15 PTS) was a thorn in Boston’s side all game long.

Rodney Stuckey impersonated Dwayne Wade (5-8 FG, 3-3 FT, 3 AST, 2 STL, 1 TO, 13 PTS).

Theo Ratliff had a smart block on a buzzer-beating attempt by Rajon Rondo, but otherwise is too old and slow on both ends of the court.

And while Wallace went through the motions for the first half, he hit two big threes plus a reverse-pivot baseline jumper in the second half.

In sum, Detroit won because they submitted a level of pressure, intensity, and attention to detail not seen from Atlanta and Cleveland.

Also, the Pistons’ balanced offense on the road was a completely different animal than Atlanta and Cleveland’s one-man gangs.

Still, these first two games prove nothing about either squad.

Do the Pistons have the killer instinct to trounce the Celtics on the road?

Do the Celtics have the heart, the resolve, and the competitive fire to win in Detroit?

And will either team go through the motions again during the series?

There are no immediate answers, but fortunately for basketball aficionados everywhere, the teams have no choice but to find out.