Perkisaflashback: The Rivalry Renewed

The first of probably many retrospectives on the Celtics/Pistons rivalry. This is from Sports Illustrated in 1987.
Like two Back-Alley Brawlers, the Boston Celtics and the Detroit Pistons had fought each other through six evenly matched games of the NBA’s Eastern Conference final. There had been fines and fists, cheap shots and long shots, low comedy and high drama. And now, as they neared the Game 7 finish line last Saturday at sold-out, sauna-hot Boston Garden, the Celts and the Pistons were still running neck and neck. Four minutes left, score 99-99.
Earlier, near the end of the third period, the poltergeists who inhabit the dark, spooky recesses of the Garden had worked their mischief on two of the Pistons’ top guns, Adrian Dantley and Vinnie Johnson. They had met head-on in a violent collision under the Detroit basket. Dantley was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital with a concussion (he was released on Sunday), while Johnson, suffering from a sore neck, didn’t play the final seven minutes.
But now, as Boston’s Danny Ainge released a three-pointer with a little more than four minutes left, the poltergeists really got into the flow. Ainge’s shot missed, but Larry Bird got the rebound. Bird tried a three-pointer that missed, but Kevin McHale retrieved. Bird tried another shot, and McHale got it back. Then McHale misfired on a driving jumper, but Robert Parish, who played 42 courageous minutes on a badly sprained ankle, came up with the rebound. It was crazy, improbable, illogical. No, it was simply Boston Garden in a seventh game. Parish’s shot underneath, the fifth of the sequence, was swatted away by Detroit’s Dennis Rodman. And the poltergeists swatted it back to Bird. Then to Ainge, to Dennis Johnson, back to Bird, over to Ainge, still in three-point range. “By the time I got it back, I was rested,” said Ainge.
He let it fly, and this time it swished—one minute and five seconds after his first attempt. Not only did it give the Celtics a lead—102-99—they never lost, with 3:06 left, but it also served surrealistic notice that the Pistons simply were not going to win an Eastern title in Boston Garden. Not in Game 7, not with Red Auerbach sitting in his seat near the parquet floor, not with K.C. Jones on the bench, not with Bird playing 48 exquisite minutes.
Final: Boston 117, Detroit 114. The win sent the bruised and battered defending champions into the NBA final against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Celtics’ fourth-straight shot at the title.

May 19th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
The Celtics just accomplished what Det could not do last year: Beat LeBron and the Cavs. And ‘08 LeBron is even nastier than ‘07 LeBron.
May 19th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
The Wispy Moustach-ed Always Prevail.
“Maybe next year..”
May 20th, 2008 at 1:34 am
May 20th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
[…] Herald Celtics guard concerns Celtics Garden dominance even more critical now Balls bounce a very different way Round 3: Road won’t get any easier for Celtics Truth hasn’t hit Grudge match Five keys for the Celtics Pistons, Celtics are full of similarities Donaghy’s lawyer rips feds in letter Losers hope for winning draw Birth of the ‘Bad’ Pistons’ 1980s identity forged in rivalry with Celtics Globe Together again after series of events Third degree will yield answers Message is clear to Pierce Slumping Allen hopes to drum up rhythm Now’s time to consider minutes Shaughnessy, Ryan preview Celtics- Pistons Celtics not weary at all MetroWest Daily Celtics: Allen trying to find his role Pistons may be rested, but Celtics have rhythm CelticsBlog Matchups Bidding temporary adieu to a budding great LOY’s Place Comments from the other side - Pistons Pre-game 1 Previewing the Celtics ECF opponent Celtics 17 Celtics finally greet Pistons for ECF showdown Hoopsworld What we learned from Celts/Cavs Celtics try to rewrite history, literally Tag team on Rasheed Red’s Army Is it something we said? Split the show Rested vs still playing The Ray Allen question Perkisabeast Post game 7 interviews Perkisaflashback: The rivalry renewed Lowell Sun Celtics better have plenty of gas left in the tank for Pistons Worcester Telegram Missing in action SouthCoast Today Pistons 101 Will C’s momentum trump Pistons’ rest? Patriot Ledger Matchups to watch Ames Progressive Never mind the Celtics NY Daily News All bets are off if Tim Donaghy is right NY Post Brown’s gotta stop catering to LeBron NY Times Assertions by ex-referee are dismissed by NBA NBA Obsessed Celtics present matchup problems for the Pistons SI.com No rest for the weary Pistons Celtics series breakdown Road to nowhere in the NBA playoffs James, Cavs come up short of a title Item Live Despite all their flaws, the Celtics are still playing NY Sun Defensive stalwarts set to clash in East finals Connecticut Post Sam Cassell coming to a crossroads in life Detroit News Freshened Prince key to series ProJo Allen keeps head up amid shooting woes Celtics Pistons series breakdown Pressure is off the Celtics now Pistons fire will put Celtics to the test Can the Celtics really keep doing this? Detroit Bad Boys Will fatigue be a factor for Boston? True Blue Pistons Key D: It all starts with 1on 1 vs Big Three Green Bandwagon Meet the Detroit Pistons Canton Rep Cavs’ West a restricted free agent USA Today Who wins? Breaking down Pistons vs Celtics Salon.com Pierce beats LeBron in a classic Detroit Free Press Pistons talk about their individual matchups Flashback: Pistons overcome the luck of the Celtics Prediction: Pistons over Celtics in six Bleacher Report The Boston Celtics: A look back and ahead Ray Allen: 4 reasons he’ll step it up against Detroit Hartford Courant Allen, Hamilton have title in their sights Eagle Tribune Allen’s mysterious slump could cost the C’s the Piston series Sportscolumn Boston paper champions? Empty the Bench We’ve been waiting since November: Celtics vs Pistons Sports On My Mind Interview with Need4Sheed on Pistons Celtics series MLive Celtics fans expect nailbiter series against Pistons Pistons fear Celtics’ Allen despite shooting woes CelticsNews Is it finally Tony Allen’s turn? SouthEasten Sports Blog Celtics - Pistons series preview Our Endless Season Paul Pierce and LeBron James in duel for the ages 7 News Ray Allen works on shooting with Pistons on the horizon Bucks Diary Celtics fans shouldn’t blame it all on Ray ESPN After his team’s playoff exit, LeBron sees room for improvement Pierce, Celtics have to buckle down vs Pistons Preview of the Eastern Conference Finals Kentucky Sports Rondo v Prince: Battle of the X-factor Josh Q Public Just a little something for the Pistons Yahoo Sports Pierce’s performance woke Celtics ghosts Hoops and Other Pop Culture Time for Ray Allen to either show up or retire Epic Carnival Doc Rivers defeats Mike Brown in battle of who can screw up less The Slam Wire Paul Pierce: Greatest pure scoring machine in Celtics history? Sporting News The week that will be: Lakers up, Celtics down Daily Tribune Pistons ready for Celtics Canadian Press Celtics prefer busy schedule to Pistons’ rest […]