Boston, MA (My Sportsbook) - Richard Hamilton led a balanced Pistons attack, scoring 25 points and handing out nine assists, as Detroit handed the Boston Celtics a 105-95 defeat at TD Banknorth Garden.

Tayshaun Prince and Rasheed Wallace pulled down a combined 14 rebounds to go with 15 points apiece for Detroit, which has won two straight without the services of All-Star guard Allen Iverson (back).

Antonio McDyess and Rodney Stuckey each chipped in 10 points, and Walter Herrmann scored 11 -- all in the first half -- to help the Pistons turn the corner after a season-high eight-game slide.

"I wasn't surprised [with the outcome]," Hamilton proclaimed. "I thought we were focused, shared the ball, made easy plays. I thought that was the key. We had like 22 assists and six turnovers so I thought that was key for us."

Paul Pierce paced Boston with 26 points, while Glen Davis deposited 18 for the Celtics, who fell to 3-2 since Kevin Garnett went down with a knee injury. Ray Allen made just two of his 10 shots from the field to end with 10 points.

Stephon Marbury logged 12 minutes in his second game with Boston, missing all three of his attempts from the field while doling out three helpers in defeat.

Detroit held a 77-70 lead heading to the fourth, but the Celtics, carried by Eddie House and Pierce, took a short-lived lead with a strong start to the frame. House hit a pair of three-pointers around a Pierce three-point play, and Pierce added a bucket for an 81-79 lead just 2 1/2 minutes in.

Trailing by three after a Pierce layup at the five-minute mark, Detroit rattled off eight straight points, capped by a Wallace fadeaway and two free throws from Jason Maxiell for a 94-89 edge.

After trading free throws, Detroit hit 3-of-6 from the foul line near the two- minute mark to increase its lead to six. Pierce added a free throw with 1:40 on the clock, and Prince's three-pointer in the left corner hit nothing but net for a 100-92 lead.

Kendrick Perkins, who finished with 11 points, responded with a layup, but Hamilton nailed another trifecta from the same spot as Prince on the previous possession to all but seal the outcome with less than 50 ticks remaining.

"We're a team that doesn't want to make excuses," Pierce said. "It was definitely a winnable game, we had the lead in the fourth. The guys we had out there in the stretch are guys that have been here...This was definitely a winnable game. We just didn't play with the defense and intensity we needed regardless of who was out there."

Pierce's field goal with a toe on the three-point line just before the first- quarter buzzer capped nine straight Celtics points that put Boston up, 22-20.

The Pistons flipped the script in the second frame, netting 14 of the final 17 points in the half to take a 55-47 lead into the locker room.

Boston responded with a 12-point burst to open the second half, aided by six points from Davis, for a 59-55 edge. With the Pistons still trailing by three a little later, Hamilton and Prince hit three-pointers on back-to-back possessions to retake the lead, which held up through the third.

Game Notes

Boston, which fell to 25-5 at home, had won five straight over the Pistons... Wallace was whistled for his 15th technical foul of the season in the first quarter...Boston forward Brian Scalabrine (concussion) and guard Gabe Pruitt (suspension) also missed the game...Each team shot 14 three-pointers, with Detroit hitting seven and Boston nailing only two...The Pistons outscored the hosts on the foul line, 34-23...Marbury signed with Boston Friday after he agreed to a buyout with the New York Knicks and was subsequently waived earlier in the week.