The regular-season rivalry wasn't very much of a rivalry, as the Celtics won all four matchups. Boston won the first three games by 23, 27 and 13 points, respectively, before taking the final showdown, 119-117, in overtime back on April 8 in New York.

J.B. Bickerstaff’s message to his team heading into a do-or-die Game 5 was simple. “We’ve overcome a ton of odds, right?” he said before the game. “So why not one more time?” The Pistons answered his call,