AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- An oversized black duffel bag sat on the floor alongside a cinder block wall outside the Boston Celtics' locker room, and inside were stuffed dozens upon dozens of Eastern Conference champions T-shirts and hats.

Hand after hand kept reaching in and pulling out one or two of the goodies, and the players in the locker room put them on and wore them proudly.

Proudly, because the Celtics' trip to the NBA Finals was earned Friday night the way finals berths are supposed to be earned. No one handed the Celtics this game. They reached out and grabbed it -- just like they did with that bag full of apparel.

This was a game in which the Celtics trailed 70-60 early the fourth quarter before exerting their will over the entire final 12 minutes to win going away 89-81, setting up an NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers that will rekindle -- and maybe even be a rebirth of -- the NBA's glory days of two decades ago.

"It means everything to Boston fans," said Paul Pierce, who led the Celtics with 27 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter. "To me, I think that's pretty much what got me started in basketball, growing up in Los Angeles, watching the Lakers and Celtics. And it's ironic, being a Celtic, now you're playing against the Lakers in the Finals. As a kid, I hated the Celtics. I'm going back home to play against my team that I grew up watching. It's a dream come true, man, just thinking about it. I think that rivalry really revolutionized the game of basketball, and now I'm a part of it."

The Finals will begin Thursday night in Boston, where the Celtics have gone 10-1 in the postseason and where Game 7 would have been held Sunday had the Pistons been able to get the job done down the stretch. Instead, Detroit shot 6-for-18 in the final quarter with six turnovers, getting outscored 29-13 in the period.

It was a night when the Celtics could have given up mentally after a highly questionable offensive foul call with 1:35 left in the third quarter. Referee Bennett Salvatore called Pierce for a charge as he drew contact from Richard Hamilton behind the 3-point line, while making the shot. Then on the next Detroit possession, Pierce fouled Tayshaun Prince, who made two free throws to give Detroit a 66-58 lead. These two huge plays added up to a six-point swing for the Pistons.

"I didn't let it frustrate me like I probably would in the past. I probably would have lost my poise, lost my cool, got a technical. But that would have been selfish of me," Pierce said.

Instead, he refocused. And when the Celtics used a 10-0 run to tie the game at 70 with 7:35 left in the game, the momentum was theirs.

Pierce gave Boston the lead for good on a three-point play with 5:25 remaining, and the Pistons' last chance ended when James Posey -- who coach Doc Rivers had used for the entire fourth quarter up to that point, benching Ray Allen -- snuck up on Prince in the backcourt and knocked the ball away with 1:40 left. Instead of having a chance to cut into a five-point deficit, the Celtics were able to stretch the lead to seven as Pierce knocked down two free throws.

Not even a minute later, half of the crowd at The Palace had already left their seats, and the Pistons' sixth consecutive trip to the conference finals ended the same way for the fourth time -- including the last three.

"Right now it's a good feeling," Kevin Garnett said from the interview podium, sitting alongside Pierce, as usual, but this time wearing one of those T-shirt and hat ensembles. "It's kind of surreal, probably hasn't even hit me yet because we haven't slept in about four days, going on five days now. But it does feel good."

"It's been a long process," Pierce added. "I could probably write a book on my emotions right now. But I'm just happy to be in this position, still with the Boston Celtics."

This will be the 11th time the Lakers and Celtics will have met for the championship, the first since 1987, when Pat Riley's Showtime Lakers finished off the defending champion Celtics in six games.

For anyone younger than 28, it'll be at least somewhat of a new experience.

For those north of 28, it'll be a mix of nostalgia and newness.

Count Garnett in the latter group.

"I'm looking forward to it, all the things I used to watch on Sundays with that big plate of food in front of me, watching the Lakers and Celtics play on Sunday, Hubie Brown and Dick Stockton doing the game. I remember that like it was yesterday -- fire going, I'm going to grab that seat right in front, Mom telling me, 'Don't get too close to the TV, it'll kill your eyes.' I remember it like it was yesterday, man. I'm looking forward to this," he said.

Him, and a lot of other people, too -- not least among them commissioner David Stern, who in a moment of candor earlier this season said he was hoping, deep down in his heart, for another Lakers-Celtics Finals. He's got it: the team that had the best record in the East facing the team that had the best record in the West.

"I think the right two teams are playing each other," Rivers said.

Outside of Detroit and San Antonio, plenty of folks feel that same way, too.

So grab a big plate of food, don't sit too close to the TV and don't take for granted that everyone's allegiances are the same as they were 20-25 years ago. Just ask Pierce, who was wearing a Magic Johnson jersey back then, but was sporting green and white on this night, a night when the Celtics earned -- really, truly earned -- the right to go for the ultimate NBA prize, just like Magic and Larry Bird did back when these players were mere pups.

Chris Sheridan covers the NBA for ESPN Insider. To e-mail Chris, click here.

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