Wallace, Pistons even Sixers series

The Detroit Pistons looked a lot like the team that reached the last five Eastern Conference finals.

Rasheed Wallace scored 11 of his 16 points in the first quarter and had plenty of help at both ends of the court in a 105-88 series-evening victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 2 on Wednesday night at Auburn Hills, Mich..

"They were clicking everywhere," Philadelphia's Andre Iguodala said. "Those are the Detroit Pistons that we expect to see."

The Sixers took advantage of Detroit's lackluster focus in the first-round opener, rallying from a 15-point deficit in the third quarter for a 90-86 win.

"We were disappointed, upset and mad about what happened," Pistons coach Flip Saunders said. "Our players responded."

Wallace led the way with another good game against his hometown Sixers.

Unlike the series opener, a few Detroit starters helped him out.

Wallace was one of four Pistons scoring in double figures as they took a 17-point halftime lead, while the 76ers had only Andre Miller, who scored 11 of his 14 points in the first half.

The Pistons played with a sense of urgency, swarming Philadelphia on defense and relentlessly going after offensive rebounds for extra scoring opportunities.

"When they did miss, they beat us to the boards and got second-chance points," Iguodala said.

Game 3 is Friday night in Philadelphia.

"We've got to be able to respond," Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks said.

Samuel Dalembert of the Sixers had three points -- giving him eight in the series -- Thaddeus Young scored 11 and Willie Green added six points after setting a career playoff high with 17 in the opener.

Celtics 96, Hawks 77: Rajon Rondo outplayed Mike Bibby and helped host Boston silence Atlanta and its blustery point guard.

Kevin Garnett had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Rondo added 12 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds to help the Celtics open a 2-0 series over the Hawks.

Paul Pierce scored 14 points, and Kendrick Perkins added 8 points and 9 rebounds for the Celtics, while Josh Smith had 13 points and 8 rebounds for Atlanta.