Celtics still can't get a break

DETROIT -- Any hope of ending the franchise-record losing streak disappeared in the second quarter. Any hope of salvaging a modicum of respect disappeared in the third. Any hope of staying composed in the face of mounting frustration disappeared in the fourth when Doc Rivers picked up a technical arguing against a foul assessed Al Jefferson. To be fair, it was a bad call in a game with little good to report about the Celtics.

Rivers may have been tempted to keep arguing until he picked up a second technical and ejection; that way he would not have had to watch Detroit dismantle Boston on the way to a 109-102 win at the Palace of Auburn Hills last night.

Rivers might have enjoyed watching Greg Oden and Ohio State play Michigan instead. But neither Oden nor Paul Pierce will be making an appearance in a Boston uniform any time soon.

Last night's loss was coupled with more bad news about Pierce, who will require at least a two-day hospital stay be-

Pierce is hospitalized with

infection in his left elbow. C3.

cause of an infected left elbow. Contrary to what Pierce promised last week, the cavalry is not on the way.

Without Pierce on the horizon, the Celtics' losing streak could stretch until next week's All-Star break. It stands at 15 games with a matchup against the defending champion Miami Heat tonight at TD Banknorth Garden, where the Celtics have just four wins this season.

While Miami will be relatively fresh, Boston will be playing the second of back-to-back games, making the long odds of a win even longer. Then again, long odds are nothing new for the struggling Celtics, who stood little chance against the Pistons.

"There's not a lot to say," said Rivers. "We played a better team, and I didn't think we played with a lot of spirit. They just picked us apart."

The Pistons were kind, waiting until the second quarter to embarrass the Celtics with a show of experience and skill the visitors could not match. Detroit entered halftime ahead, 56-40, without needing much energy to take the lead and stay ahead. In fact, it was the Detroit bench that caused the most trouble for Boston, as Antonio McDyess scored 10 of his season-high 18 points in the second quarter.

But none of the Pistons had much trouble scoring in the second quarter as they shot 72 percent and broke the game open with a pair of runs. Detroit shot a season-high 58 percent for the game and tied a season high with 32 assists.

The Pistons opened the second with an 8-0 spurt that sent the Celtics' fragile confidence tumbling and gave Detroit its first double-digit lead, 33-20. But the more devastating run came when 3-pointers by Carlos Delfino sparked and capped an 11-4 spurt, pushing the home team ahead by 18 (54-36) with 1:47 left in the half.

By the time the Pistons were stretching their advantage beyond 20 points in the third quarter, the Celtics looked like a team that wanted only one thing: A quick exit from the Palace.

"We came in and we did what we were supposed to do," said Detroit's Chauncey Billups (24 points, 7 assists). "That team has been struggling. We jumped on them. Of course, they kept fighting. They are a young, pesky team, but we did what we were supposed to do. We won the game."

In a show of youthful resiliency, the Celtics pulled within 10 (99-89) when Gerald Green knocked down a 3-pointer with 5:38 remaining. But when Billups responded with a 3-pointer 30 seconds later -- with two seconds on the shot clock -- it was clear the Pistons were toying with the visitors.

"They're such a great passing team that if you trap, they hurt you with threes, which they did," said Rivers. "The only chance we had in the game -- and I didn't think it was a real chance, I thought it was one of those fool's gold comebacks -- was when we cut it to 10 and had them down to two seconds and then Chauncey hits a three."

Detroit was not going to let this one slip away, even though Boston crept closer down the stretch. After trailing by as many as 24 (97-73) early in the fourth, the Celtics got a 3-pointer from Allan Ray to get within 9 (109-100) with 1:10 remaining and a layup from Rajon Rondo to set the final margin.

But the late surge didn't ease the difficulty of dealing with the skid.

"I've never gone through anything like this in my basketball career," said Ryan Gomes (team-high 19 points). "This franchise, where it has been and where it is now, it's tough."

Tough to play through. Tough to watch.