Boston edge Pistons to make final

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Paul Pierce inspired Boston with 12 points in the fourth quarter

Boston Celtics will face the LA Lakers in the NBA finals after beating Detroit Pistons 89-81 to clinch the Eastern Conference final series.

The Celtics, who had not made the finals since 1987, had trailed 68-60 going into the final quarter.

But they outscored Detroit 29-13 in the final period to win the series 4-2.

Paul Pierce was Boston's hero with 27 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter, although Detroit's Chauncey Billups led all scorers with 29 points.

Pierce was supported by Kendrick Perkins, who had seven points and seven rebounds, while also making a crucial shot block in the last minute when the Pistons threatened a late rally.

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A childhood Lakers fan, Pierce admitted his mind was racing as time slowly ran out for their opponents.

"We were up five or six points and that buzzer couldn't come any sooner," he said.

"All the hard years I put in in Boston and to finally get to this point in my career. There is nothing better than this.

"The crazy thing is I grew up watching the Boston against Los Angeles Lakers playoff series. As a kid I hated the Celtics. That's what got me into basketball and now I am going to be part of basketball history.

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It sealed an Eastern Conference finals defeat for Detroit for the third consecutive year, after previously losing to Miami and Cleveland.

"We ran out of juice or whatever," coach Flip Saunders admitted.

"We got to a point where we couldn't make the big shots we had been making earlier."

The NBA finals, which will see the Celtics renew their rivalry with Kobe Bryant's LA Lakers, begin on Thursday - with the first game in Boston.