Auburn Hills, MI -- (Sports Network) - Kevin Garnett scored 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, and the Boston Celtics finally won a playoff game on the road with a 94-80 rout of the Detroit Pistons on Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals.

After going 31-10 on the road in the regular season, the Celtics surprisingly dropped all six games away from home over the first two rounds of the playoffs, going to seven games against both the Hawks and the Cavaliers. They advanced thanks to their dominance in Boston, where they had been unbeaten in the postseason until Detroit's 103-97 win in Game 2.

Boston rebounded nicely from its first home loss of the playoffs, however, pulling away in the second quarter and led by as many as 24 as it took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

"I've always said that the way we play, when you grind it out it's tough to play from behind," said Pistons head coach Flip Saunders. "I thought when we got behind we played out of character a bit."

Game 4 is back in Auburn Hills on Monday night.

Ray Allen added 14 points, one of six Celtics players to score in double- figures. Kendrick Perkins had 12 points and 10 boards, and James Posey and Rajon Rondo scored a dozen apiece for Boston. Paul Pierce scored 11 points for the Celtics.

Richard Hamilton scored 26 points for the Pistons, who struggled to a 38- percent performance from the field, including 1-of-13 from behind the arc. Rodney Stuckey scored 17 points off the bench, and Rasheed Wallace added 12 points and eight rebounds for the Pistons.

Chauncey Billups, and Tayshaun Prince were absent on the offensive end for Detroit. Billups scored six points on 1-of-6 shooting, while Prince shot 2- of-11 and scored only four points.

"I thought defensively we were connected, we all talked. We were aggressive on both ends, and that's how you have to play against this team," said Garnett.

The Pistons put up a bit of a fight late, with an 11-0 run bridging the third and fourth quarters, slicing a 24-point deficit to 13, at 73-60 after a Stuckey three-point play with 10:55 to play. The Celtics were able to stem the bleeding, however, and an Allen three pushed the lead back up to 16, at 83-67, with 7:31 remaining.

Billups' only field goal of the game, which was Detroit's only make from beyond the arc, made it an 11-point game with three and half minutes to play, and Prince threw down a dunk to pull the Pistons within single-figures, at 87-78, for the first time since the second quarter.

Detroit's shooting struggles continued, however, and two Hamilton free throws in the final minute were the only points the Pistons scored the rest of the way. A Garnett hook shot off the glass pushed the Celtics up 90-78 with 1:09 left, and Boston finally had a playoff win on the road.

"More like a gorilla," said Pierce when asked if the road losing skid was a monkey on the club's back. "The whole time, throughout this, we didn't feel like we hadn't won a road game. I told the guys before the game, during the regular season we were the best team on the road, so let's put this all behind us."

The first quarter was a battle of runs. Boston opened with an 11-0 run, but a 13-0 burst by the Pistons, capped by a Wallace tip shot, pushed Detroit on top 17-15 with 1:52 left in the quarter. The Celtics closed with 10 straight, however, and threes by Posey and Sam Cassell in the final minute gave Boston momentum and a 25-17 lead heading into the second quarter.

"Game number two we choked off their role players, and tonight their role players really hurt us," said Saunders. "You look at what Perkins did, you look at the guys who came off the bench."

A Jason Maxiell jumper cut the Celtics lead to 29-25 early in the second quarter, but then Detroit went cold and the Celtics heated up. A 20-5 run turned a four-point edge into a 19-point lead. Garnett scored 10 points on the run, which he closed with two free throws, putting the Pistons in a 49-30 hole with 1:43 left in the half.

"We wanted to come out really aggressive, kind of take the crowd out of the game," said Pierce. "We were able to do that."

The Celtics led 50-32 at the intermission.

Game Notes

The Celtics' last win away from Boston was a 99-93 victory over the Knicks in New York on April 14...Boston dominated the glass, out-rebounding the Pistons 44-28...Allen shot 5-of-16 from the field, and only made 1-of-6 three- pointers...Boston outscored the Pistons in the paint, 34-24, and on second- chance points, 19-10.