Thu May 29 00:06:04 2008

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Celtics hold off Pistons to take East lead

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Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Kevin Garnett scored 33 points and hit the sealing free throws with 3.4 seconds left, as Boston held off Detroit, 106-102, to move ahead after five games of the Eastern Conference finals.

Ray Allen snapped out of a shooting slump to score 29 points, and Kendrick Perkins had the best playoff game of his career with 18 points and 16 rebounds for the Celtics.

Boston nearly wasted a 15-point fourth-quarter lead, but now holds a 3-2 edge in the best-of-seven series.

Paul Pierce netted 16 points for the Celtics, who moved to 10-1 at home this postseason. The only loss at TD Banknorth Garden came in Game 2 to the Pistons.

The trio of Garnett, Perkins and Allen combined to shoot 28-of-43. Allen, who was limited to 7-of-24 from the field in the previous two games, went 5-of-6 from three-point range.

Rajon Rondo scored seven on just 3-of-14 shooting, but had 13 assists for the Celtics, who can close out the series and advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1987 with a win in one of the next two contests. Game 6 is Friday at the Palace of Auburn Hills, and if necessary, the seventh game would be back in Boston Sunday night.

The Celtics will have to reverse a trend, though, to win the series on the road. They are 1-7 in away games in the playoffs, with the lone win coming in Game 3 of this series.

Chauncey Billups had 26 points and Richard Hamilton scored 25 before leaving in the final minute with a strained right elbow for the Pistons, who are in the East finals for a sixth consecutive year, but now are a loss away from being ousted. During its run, Detroit has advanced to the NBA Finals twice and has captured one championship.

Rasheed Wallace added 18 points and Rodney Stuckey 13 for Detroit, which was within a point with under 10 seconds left, but could never get over the hump.