AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — The N.B.A.’s best basketball team in the regular season has not made anything look easy in the playoffs.With an opportunity to clinch the Eastern Conference championship against the Detroit Pistons, the Celtics did just that Friday night, avoiding their third Game 7 in as many postseason series this year with a 89-81 victory at the Palace.
Boston, which missed the playoffs the past two seasons, will play the Los Angeles Lakers in its first finals appearance since 1987. Although the Celtics led most of the first half, their composure and lead evaporated in the third quarter.
As the Celtics piled up fouls in the period, the Pistons added up the points, turning a 3-point halftime deficit into an 8-point advantage.
But in the fourth quarter, the Celtics made play upon play to pull themselves back, taking an 83-76 lead with 2 minutes 32 seconds remaining. Boston’s charge in the decisive quarter was led by the All-Star power forward Kevin Garnett, who had been silenced for most of the game, and the veteran small forward Paul Pierce.
Garnett, who had 8 points through three quarters, scored 8 in the final period to finish with 16. Pierce scored 12 of his 27 in the last quarter.
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