It was only a matter of time before the Detroit Pistons would get their chance to shine. However, they had to overcome one big obstacle in the Eastern Conference: the Boston Celtics.
Come the 1988 Eastern Conference Finals, a Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers clash in the Finals appeared imminent. Boston had a home-court advantage, and Detroit had to steal at a game to turn the odds in their favor. The Pistons wasted no time, bringing down the mighty C's in Game 1, 104-96.
It was a huge breakthrough for the "Motor City" squad, which snapped a 21-game losing streak at the Boston Garden. Unfortunately, Boston had only itself to blame for the loss. They uncharacteristically shot only 42% from the field, shooting a dubious 38-91 in that contest.
"If you don't make the shots, you're not going to win, it's simple mathematics," Celtics forward Kevin McHale rued , as the only Celtic who shot better than 40% at the time per UPI.
Thomas downplayed the win
As for the Pistons, winning Game 1 and taking home-court advantage in the 1988 ECF was just the beginning. In that series, Detroit still needed to win three more games to advance.
Isiah Thomas , who carried the offensive cudgels, knew this. Beating the C's in Game 1 was something, but their mission was far from done.
"We haven't beaten the Boston Celtics yet. The race is over by no means," "Zeke" said after the win.
In that series, the Celtics evened the odds when they won back the home court edge after winning Game 4, 79-78. That didn't last long as the Pistons won again in Game 5 at the Garden, 102-96. Detroit capped their brilliant ECF run with a 95-90 victory in Game 6 at the Pontiac Silverdome.
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Taking on another giant
With the C's out of the way, Thomas and company were hoping to bring down another giant in the Los Angeles Lakers. They shocked L.A. when the 1988 Finals got underway, taking Game 1, 105-93. Both teams engaged in a tough battle until Thomas started suffering injuries.
"Zeke" sustained a back injury in Game 4 and an ankle sprain in Game 6. Despite these, the second overall pick of the 1981 Draft willed his way to finish the series. The valiant effort failed to help the Pistons stay close, and they ultimately lost Game 7 to the Lakers, 108-105.
Despite falling short, the Pistons were clearly on the rise at the time. Detroit achieved glory the following year, sweeping the Lakers in the 1989 Finals, bagging their first NBA title in franchise history.
Related: "He terrorizes the league…" – Pistons coach reveals how difficult it was to guard Celtics forward Kevin McHale
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