Paul Pierce had 11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block and 5 turnovers. Ray Allen shot 5-16 from the field. On top of that Allen and Kevin Garnett picked up 2 early fouls each and headed to the bench in the first quarter. And yet the Celtics put forth one of their best performances of the playoffs. What happened?

- KG happened in a big way. 22 points, 13 boards, 6 assists and 2 steals. Meanwhile, Kendrick Perkins dropped 12 and 10 on the Pistons and was so much of a presence that Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson repeatedly praised him. The NBA and its coverage are built around the stars. So when Perk gets that much air time he has to be standing tall. Allen also compensated for his poor shooting by attacking the hoop, grabbing 6 rebounds and dishing out 6 assists.

- Boston was also solid from the line (25-30) and excellent on the glass, grabbing 44 rebounds to Detroit's 28

- My biggest concern is that the 17 playoff games to date appear to be taking a toll on The Truth. He looked sluggish out there at points, particularly on offense.

- That's it for now.