Celtics too much as Pistons lose, 101-90

Paul Pierce scored 22 points and Rajon Rondo added 14 assists for the Celtics, who remained one-half game behind Miami in the race for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs to help Celtics beat the Detroit Pistons, 101-90.

Will Bynum scored 20 points, Tayshaun Prince had 16 and Charlie Villanueva 15 for the Pistons.

The Pistons led by three points at the end of the first quarter and led 39-38 with 4:29 left in the second before Boston scored the next 11 points to take a double-digit lead. Detroit answered with a 9-0 run of its own to make it a one-point game, 49-48, at the half.

But Boston scored 13 straight points in the third quarter, starting with a 3-pointer and dunk by Pierce, and ending with Garnett’s dunk on a feed from Delonte West that made it 80-64.