Auburn Hills, MI (Best E Casino) - For the first time in more than two decades the Boston Celtics are headed back to the NBA Finals.

Paul Pierce scored 27 points as the Celtics used a dominating fourth quarter to beat Detroit, 89-81, in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals. Ray Allen added 17 points and Kevin Garnett 16 for Boston, which will host Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the championship series next Thursday.

"For the most part we've been enjoying it," Garnett said. "We know we have a big task ahead of us. Our total goal is not done."

The last time the Celtics were in the NBA Finals was 1987 when the trio of Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale led Boston against the Lakers, a series which the Celtics lost in six games. This time, it's another big three - Garnett, Pierce and Allen - carrying the Celtics, and this will be the first title series of their careers.

During the 1980s the Celtics played the Lakers three times in the NBA Finals, with Boston winning in 1984 and losing the following year. All told, the Celtics and Lakers have met 10 times in the Finals, with Boston winning eight of those matchups.

"To me, I think that's what got me pretty much started in basketball," said Pierce. "I'm going back home to play against the team that I grew up watching. It's a dream come true. Thinking about it, that rivalry really revolutionized the game of basketball. Now I'm a part of it."

The Celtics rallied from a 10-point deficit in the fourth, outscoring Detroit, 29-13, in the last quarter.

Chauncey Billups had 29 points for the Pistons, who were in the East finals for a sixth straight year. Detroit has just two NBA Finals appearances in that span, with one title. The Pistons were eliminated on their home court for the first time during their run.

Richard Hamilton, playing despite a strained right elbow, added 21 points in defeat.

The Celtics, who will be gunning for their 17th championship and first since 1986, shot just 44.4 percent from the field. However, they made 8-of-13 field goal attempts in the fourth quarter.

Hamilton's jumper moved the Pistons to a 70-60 lead 1 1/2 minutes into the fourth quarter, but the Celtics came back with the next 10, capped by a Pierce free throw to tie the game with 7:35 remaining.

A personal 7-0 run from Pierce moved the Celtics ahead for good. His three- point play, off a spin move in the lane and a free throw, moved Boston in front, and his two from the charity stripe ended it for a 79-74 margin with 4:11 remaining.

"I just wanted to make sure we got a good shot every time down," Pierce said. "I thought this was the best game we played, the best fourth quarter we played, especially being down going into the fourth."

Rajon Rondo hit a big jumper from the right wing to extend the advantage to 83-76 with 2:34 left.

Billups' ensuing three-point play and a rebound from Tayshaun Prince off a Rondo missed shot gave the Pistons life. However, James Posey poked the ball away from Prince in the backcourt, and Pierce sank two foul shots with 1:35 to go. The Celtics were able to hold on thanks to sinking four more foul shots.

Detroit, meanwhile, missed five straight shots until Billups' layup with 17 seconds left.

"It just got to a point where we couldn't make a big shot," Pistons coach Flip Saunders said.

Boston held a 24-21 lead after the opening quarter and widened the margin to seven in the second until holding a 40-37 edge at the half.

The third turned in favor of Detroit, which used a 22-8 run to grab a 66-58 lead. Two free throws from Prince culminated the flurry, and Hamilton's jumper from the foul line with 3.8 seconds left in the quarter made it 68-60.

Game Notes

The Celtics are 30-0 in series when leading 3-2...The Pistons had captured 11 of their previous 13 Game 6s in the postseason, but they have now lost three straight when facing elimination from the playoffs...This was Boston's second road win (2-7) of this year's playoffs. They are 10-1 at home...Rondo had 11 points for Boston, which went 5-of-18 from three-point range...Prince scored 10 and Rasheed Wallace had 10 boards for Detroit. Prince and Wallace combined to shoot 5-of-22 from the field, as the Pistons ended at 42 percent. Wallace also missed all six of his three-point tries...Pierce, who also had eight rebounds, went 8-of-12 from the floor.