Celtics Crush Pistons, 104-91, in Game 1

BOSTON--The Boston Celtics had trouble getting excited again after one of the most exciting playoff series in their history. The Detroit Pistons had trouble getting their rhythm back after five days of rest.

In a game lacking typical playoff intensity, Robert Parish scored 15 of his game-high 31 points in the third quarter and the Celtics went on to a 104-91 victory over Detroit in the opener of their NBA Eastern Conference final last night.

Boston had just one day off after edging Milwaukee on Sunday to win the conference semifinal, 4-3. Detroit hadn't played since last Wednesday, when it completed a 4-1 triumph over Atlanta.

"The [Celtics'] letdown was very much apparent out there," Boston Coach K.C. Jones said. "It's like trying to get over a championship type series with the Bucks and then go down and get up again."

Boston's Larry Bird made only seven of 22 field-goal attempts and Detroit's Isiah Thomas hit just six of 24.

"The layoff definitely hurt us," said Thomas, who still led Detroit with 18 points and 10 assists. "We did basically everything we wanted to do but convert ... I had a lot of shots, easy shots. I just couldn't hit them."

The Pistons sank just 39 percent of their shots through three quarters and never threatened in the fourth, when they trailed by from seven to 15 points.

"We just wasted an awful lot of opportunities," Detroit Coach Chuck Daly said. "We didn't take open shots. We decided to pass. That's what I mean when I say we were out of sync."

Although they won, the Celtics weren't as sharp as they were against Milwaukee.

"We were kind of sluggish," Jones said. "We weren't really into it and we didn't really have the kind of intensity of the last week."

Boston's 44-40 halftime lead dropped to 48-47 on Adrian Dantley's short shot in the lane. Then Parish scored 13 points in a 26-14 run that gave the Celtics their biggest lead of the third quarter, 74-61, with 1:05 left.

Detroit cut it to 75-68 going into the fourth quarter but could come no closer.

"I'm not jumping off any bridges," Daly said. "It's the first game of the series. They did their job. We have to do a better job."

Boston, which is 33-1 in its last 34 games at the Garden, will be home again for tomorrow night's second game of the best-of-seven series.