Detroit Pistons

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The rivalry truly ignited in 1987 during a brutal Eastern Conference Finals. After losing to Boston in six games that year, the Pistons returned as a vastly different team, using intimidation to secure victory. Game 3 saw Larry Bird and Bill Laimbeer ejected for fighting. The series' most famous moment came in Game 5: with Detroit leading 107–106 and five seconds left, Isiah Thomas had his inbounds pass stolen by Bird, who fed Dennis Johnson for the winning layup. In retaliation for a punch on Laimbeer in Game 5—the first suspension for punching in NBA playoff history—Robert Parish missed Game 6. Detroit won that game 113–105 to force a Game 7 in Boston Garden, where the Celtics prevailed 117–114.

In Their Own Story

By 1988, the dynamic had shifted. The Pistons finally unseated Boston, winning the Eastern Conference Finals 4–2 and advancing to face the Lakers. This series broke Detroit's 21-game losing streak at the Boston Garden; they won two of three games there, including a dramatic 102–96 overtime victory in Game 5 after trailing by 16. The Pistons' rough play suppressed Bird's scoring to just 10 points per game on 35.1% shooting, forcing Boston to rely heavily on Kevin McHale. Two years later, the rivalry reached its climax again in the 1989 First Round, where Detroit swept Boston 3–0 for their first championship, though Larry Bird missed the series due to injury.

Reader's Guide

The saga continued into the 2000s with new stars. In 2002, Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker led a surprise Celtics victory over Jerry Stackhouse and Ben Wallace in five games during the Eastern Conference Semifinals. However, Detroit remained dominant for much of the decade, reaching six consecutive Conference Finals and winning the 2004 title. The rivalry renewed in 2008 when Boston met Detroit again in the Eastern Conference Finals. This time, the Celtics' depth proved too much; they toppled the Pistons in six games before winning the championship that year. More recently, the teams faced off in the 2025 NBA Cup group stage on November 26, where a 117–114 Celtics win snapped Detroit's 13-game winning streak and secured the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Did You Know?

• Robert Parish was suspended for punching Bill Laimbeer in Game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals, marking the first suspension for a player punching another in NBA playoff history.
• The Pistons ended their historic 21-game losing streak at the Boston Garden by winning Games 1 and 5 of the 1988 Eastern Conference Finals.
• In Game 3 of the 1987 series, Larry Bird and Bill Laimbeer were both ejected for fighting as Detroit won 122–104.
• During the 1988 Eastern Conference Finals, Isiah Thomas's defensive pressure forced Larry Bird to average only 10 points per game on 35.1% shooting.
• In the 2025 NBA Cup group stage, a 117–114 loss snapped a 13-game winning streak for the Pistons, tying their franchise record.