Washington Wizards play-by-play announcer Steve Buckhantz has a trademark expression called, “Dagger!”  When the listeners hear it, they know the game is over, and its time to either change the channel or go to the nearest bar to sulk. The Detroit Pistons were able to administer two “daggers” during their 103-97, Game 2 victory.

During Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Boston Celtics played with remarkable poise. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce hit big baskets and the team defense of the Celtics did not allow a single Detroit Pistons player to find their rhythm. On the other side, the normally poised Pistons team looked anything but. Chauncey Billups looked rusty, Rasheed Wallace was more ornery than usual and in early foul trouble and Richard Hamilton never really affected the outcome of the game. During two key stretches in the second half of Game 2 however, the Pistons showed that the loss of poise in Game 1 was an anomaly.

Halfway through the third quarter on Thursday night, Ray Allen found his touch and the Celtics rode the emotion of that to erase a seven-point halftime deficit and actually take a four-point lead, 58-54. As the Los Angeles Lakers demonstrated in their comeback victory against the San Antonio Spurs the night before, it is quite possible to ride those types of waves of emotion for an entire half, and it appeared that the Celtics were about to do the same. At that moment, the Detroit veterans calmly stepped into their phone booths and put on their capes to save the day.

First, Richard “Rip” Hamilton came down and hit a three-pointer. Then, off a Celtics’ miss, Wallace grabbed the defensive rebound, went down the court and hit his own three-pointer. The next offensive trip down the floor, it was Billups’ turn to hit a big three, and just like that, the Pistons were back up by four. A few minutes later, Hamilton was able to use a simple head fake to send Allen to the bench with his fifth foul with 3:09 left in the third quarter.  In just three brief minutes, the Pistons had regained the momentum, quieted the crowd and sent the source of the Celtics’ momentum to the bench.

Halfway through the fourth quarter, the Pistons again summoned their ability to not get flustered and quelled another rally. Allen had re-entered the game and hit a big three-pointer to pull the Celtics within two points. The crowd again erupted and each member of the Celtics team was again feeding off the excitement. When the Pistons were faced with this type of situation in Game 1, Billups was too rusty to live up to his Mr. Big Shot moniker and Hamilton, Wallace and Prince never really found the type of offensive rhythm and poise to lead any type of run. This was not the case during this fourth quarter Celtics run.

Hamilton took a pass from Billups and scored on 10-foot jumper. After Garnett cut the lead to two, Tayshaun Prince hit a jumper of his own. Then Hamilton frustrated the upstart Ray Allen by blocking his three-point attempt and passed to Wallace, who hit a jumper to put Detroit back up by four. For the second time in two quarters, an inspired Celtics run had been thwarted by the poised Pistons veterans. The Celtics would get as close at three points with 10 seconds left in the game, but at that point it was too late for them to muster a comeback and the Pistons tied the series at 1-1.

So much is made of Kevin Garnett and his ability to alter the mood and attitude of the Boston Celtics, and in Game 1 he was able to do just that.  However, the team that has been in the Eastern Conference Final for six consecutive years also has a bit of an attitude about them as well. Their poise may not be captured in Gatorade commercials or on the facial expressions of their star player, but it shows up through their remarkable consistency.

When these Pistons tip off for Game 3 at home, against a Celtics team that is winless on the road, that poise will be at an all-time high.