The Green Machine -- C's Improve to 8-1

It's not June yet -- but don't tell Paul Pierce.

Since we last talked, the Celtics have stretched their Eastern Conference-best record to 8-1 with wins over the Pistons, Raptors and previously-undefeated Hawks. Pierce has emerged as the superstar he appeared to be during last year's championship run, and the defending champions are pumping on all cylinders. Let's rewind and recap the week.

Sunday: Celtics 88, Pistons 76
This was supposed to be Allen Iverson's welcoming party. Following a blockbuster trade with Denver last week, the Pistons received "A.I." after giving up Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess. Sunday was Iverson's first home-game in the Motor City, but you couldn't see it on the faces of the men in green. They were all-business, proven by a 30-10 thrashing of the Pistons in the second quarter. The Celtics clamped down on defense, forced turnovers, and were led by an unlikely budding star: Tony Allen.

Allen's the kind of guy that's been on the verge of "amazing" for a few years. Hampered by a knee injury two years ago, T.A. has been struggling to get his confidence back. His natural abilities give him the option of out-skilling his opponents. On Sunday night, he seemed to remember how gifted he is. In 28 minutes on the floor, Allen amassed 23 points, 5 boards and 2 steals. His team led by 20 at the end of three quarters, and easily walked out of Detroit with a win.

Monday: Celtics 94, Raptors 87
As much as I love these comeback wins, they've got to stop doing this to me. I'll skip to the fourth quarter, because that's where the magic happened. (To sum up the first half, the Raptors had more assists, 13, than the Celtics had field goals, 12. That's all you need to know.)

Twice pushing the lead to sixteen, Toronto had all the cushion they seemingly needed. Paul Pierce didn't want to cooperate. The Captain scored 22 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter on 7-of-9 shooting, leading his team to yet another comeback in the Big-Three-Era.

"I love when Superman goes in the booth and transforms," Kevin Garnett said of The Truth's performance. "I love it. I got the best seat in the house."

Wednesday: Celtics 103, Hawks 102
Atlanta is undefeated no longer. Honestly, I don't think I can pick a team I hate anymore than the Hawks. With last year's first-round match-up still obviously fresh in my mind, all I can picture is a raucous Atlanta crowd being egged on by an obnoxious Al Horford. Granted, the young team is very talented...but they're not championship material just yet. The 2008 NBA Champions proved that to them last night.

It what was yet another down-to-the-wire finish, the Celtics and Hawks went back and forth. Tied at the half, neither team was ever able to open up a comfortable lead. The Hawks took a lead very early in the game, but the Celtics closed the gap quickly enough. The game really came down to a sequence of three possessions. With under a minute left, the game was tied at 99, Celtics controlling the ball. Pierce took to the hoop, got fouled and knocked down both of his free throws. Veteran skills. After a brief timeout, Atlanta gave the champs their best right-hook. The ball eventually ended up in the hands of Marvin Williams, poised and waiting at the three-point line in the corner. With Ray Allen in his face, he hit his fourth long-range shot of the night, leaving the Celtics with a one-point deficit and under ten seconds to play. But remember, I said it came down to three possessions, not two.

The Celtics, after their last timeout, had the ball on their side of the court. The inbound pass went to Kevin Garnett, who handed it off to a sprinting Pierce. With Horford on him, Pierce had a mismatch, and he knew it. He faded away with a jumper -- one that I had no faith of reaching the hoop -- and drained it. He's gotten so good that even I've learned to underestimate him.

On the heels of last night's stellar performance, the Celtics have today off. Tomorrow night at the Garden, the C's host the Denver Nuggets, still undefeated since their acquisition of Chauncey Billups. I'm sure the champs will greet them appropriately.

-- Dan Zappulla, Basking in the Glory