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As we all predicted, the first game between the two best teams in the Eastern Conference came down to the last possession. Paul Pierce had a chance to win the game and missed, giving the Pistons the last shot...

Celtics-Pistons Redux: Boston Seeks Revenge in Detroit

by Sean Crowe (Senior Writer)

15

2071 reads

Sports

January 04, 2008


As we all predicted, the first game between the two best teams in the Eastern Conference came down to the last possession. 

Paul Pierce had a chance to win the game and missed, giving the Pistons the last shot. 

Doc Rivers decided that Tony Allen was the best bet to stop Chauncey Billups. 

A pump fake (that everyone knew was coming) and an Allen foul (that sadly, everyone also knew was coming) later, and Billups was sinking the game-winning free throws. 

Round One, Pistons.

Round Two is tonight at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

Tonight’s game is as good as it gets in January in the NBA. The Celtics and Pistons are a combined 54-10. The Celtics have won eight straight games; the Pistons have won 11 straight.

Something has to give...

 

What the Celtics have to do to win the rematch


1) On the final possession, James Posey covers Chauncey Billups.  Tony Allen cheers him on from the bench. 

If Doc looks towards Allen again, Kevin Garnett should pull a Jonathon "Mox" Moxon from Varsity Blues, pretend Doc is the mascot, and "accidentally" take him out with an "errant" pass.



2) The Celtics need to keep Rajon Rondo out of foul trouble. 

Rondo is critical to the Celtics offense against good defensive teams that can press.  Eddie House and Tony Allen are nice players, but they can’t bring the ball up the court against pressure. The Pistons know this. 



3)  The Celtics need to defend the perimeter. 

The Pistons hit nine three-pointers in the first game.  They had issues getting inside on the Celtics’ bigs, but had no trouble at all getting open looks on the outside. 

The Celtics need to get hands in the faces of the Pistons’ perimeter shooters.

 

4)  The Celtics need to dictate matchups. 

Paul Pierce can score on Tayshaun Prince. Kevin Garnett is a much better player than Rasheed Wallace. Ray Allen can get his shots against Rip Hamilton.  The only decided advantage the Pistons have is Billups against Rondo. 

The Celtics need to take advantage of the good matchups and do a better job of staying away from the bad ones.

 

Who’s better?

Until the Celtics (or someone else) knock them off, the Pistons should be considered the best team in the East—no doubt, no argument. 

But man for man? Outside of point guard, the Celtics are either evenly matched or just plain better at every starting position.

So why do the “experts” think the Pistons are a better team?

The arguments I hear most are experience and depth.

Can’t argue the experience factor. The Pistons have been there and done that. They’ve played big games; they’ve won big games. 

As for depth, though, it’s a myth. A fallacy. An untruth.

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15 comments Last one added about 1 year ago — Leave a Comment

  1. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    Nice post Sean. I agree our bench is stong, & I think the Celts are going to make a statement tonight. Rondo is faster than Chauncy & needs to figure out how to utilize that advantage. I hated the 1980's Pistons but will always love this Detroit team for putting the Lakers in their place in 2004. However, they get complacent and then find they can't turn it on at will. They're not going through that right now, but the Celts can still handle them. By 8 points.

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    • Sean Crowe about 1 year ago

      Thanks! I agree, hated the old Pistons, but I kinda like the new Pistons.

      However, if they win tonight I can kind of feel the hate brewing again. :)

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  2. G Michael about 1 year ago

    Great analysis -- so looking forward to this one! Wish it was on TNT.

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  3. John Fennelly about 1 year ago

    I think Detroit is deeper and more experienced in big games. That doesn't mean they'll win in May against Boston, but it is something to consider...

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  4. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    Overall a pretty good post, but I have to disagree with a couple of your observations. When comparing the individual matchups this is how i see it; KG over Rasheed and Pierce over Prince. Hamilton and Allen cancel each other out...McDyess is definitely better then Perkins...I don't know how you didn't mention that and Billups is better then Rondo. Also, when comparing the bench you didn't even mention Rodney Stuckey or Jarvis Hayes for the Pistons. Stuckey already has played really well (see the impact he had in the Toronto game) and he's going to be co-sixth man with Jason Maxiell once he fully gets into basketball shape after the broken hand he suffered at the end of the preseason. Jarvis Hayes has been a lights out shooter most of the year for the Pistons too off the bench. Good analysis, but just make sure you include all the guys when comparing teams.

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    • Sean Crowe about 1 year ago

      I gave Billups his credit earlier in the article, and McDyess is a much better offensive player than Perkins, but Perkins can handle him on the defensive end.

      I just think the advantage Garnett, Allen, and Pierce give the Celtics is great enough that it should cancel out the Billups advantage.

      They just need to get over the Pistons "team" .... which is easier said than done. They have a way about them that makes them hard to beat in the East.

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  5. dan fisher about 1 year ago

    Are you saying Posey equals Maxiell??????????????????????????????????????????? You obviously don't watch the Pistons.

    I also noticed you conveniantly forgot to mention Hayes and Stuckey off the Pistons bench. I guess you always have to fudge the truth a bit in order to support a lame argument.

    You argue that Davis and Pollard "help" off the bench. For a title winning team, both of those two would just get DNP's.

    The East is only about Cleveland and Detroit. Clevland took Detroit to 7 games 2 years ago and beat them in 6 last year. Z gets 14 and 10 everynight, Gooden gets 13 and 9 everynight, Hughes and Pav a bigger guards who give Billups and Rip fits, Gibson is a MUCH BETTER shooter than Ray Allen, Varejo just keeps getting better, no one can stop Lebron.

    With Maxiell becoming an offense force, the aquisition of Hayes and Stuckey Detroit has a better shot of beating Cleveland.

    Boston is out in round two.

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    • Sean Crowe about 1 year ago

      The Pistons may win, but I'll take Posey over Maxiell any day of the week....twice on Saturday.

      Hayes and Stuckey are good energy guys....Flip won't play them in the playoffs. You know that as well as I do. Flip goes 6 deep in the playoffs...that's it.

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  6. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    Sean, you need to watch Stuckey man, he is not just an energy guy. Maybe he won't have a great game tonight, but once he gets back in bball shape he's going to play a lot. He's been averaging 19 minutes the last 5 games. Stuckey will definitely play in the playoffs, he will be the 1st guard off the bench. Flip hasn't had a deep bench in his two years like he does this year which lead to him not playing the subs much. Once the playoffs start the Pistons will probably go 8 deep...the starting five plus Stuckey, Hayes, and Maxiell.

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    • Sean Crowe about 1 year ago

      They should go 8 deep, I'm just not sure they will. I'll believe Flip makes the right decision in the playoffs as soon as it happens.

      I'll watch Stuckey more tonight. I've seen him a few times, I haven't been overly impressed.

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  7. Sean Crowe about 1 year ago

    So far, great heavyweight battle. I just wish the refs would back off a bit.

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  8. Sean Crowe about 1 year ago

    What a game! Big Baby dominated inside.

    By the way, my case is rested on the quality of the Celtics' bench.

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  9. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    Don't undermine the "C's " bench yet until you've watched what they can do.
    The "C's" and its Big 3's are learning to be humble and play the game of basketball.
    So don't judge them yet until they show what they are about to do as a team.
    Goooooooo celtic'ssssssss.

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  10. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    i like seans comment about pistons not using bench in the finals. flip saunders is known to to do that but this year pistons have the best bench in the nba except that maxiel is a wayyyyyyyy better player than posey i mean wayyyyyy better.

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