Boston forward Paul Pierce (34) drives against Detroit forward Tayshaun Prince (22) in the second half. Boston defeated Detroit, 88-79, in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday in Boston.

Boston ? Not even a week of rest could prepare the Detroit Pistons for the hottest home team in the NBA.

Kevin Garnett had 26 points and nine rebounds and Paul Pierce scored 22 points Tuesday night to give Boston an 88-79 victory over the Pistons in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.

It was the Celtics’ 15th straight home win.

Despite having just one day off after an epic Game 7 that eliminated the Cleveland Cavaliers from the conference semifinals, Boston scored the first eight points against a Detroit team that waited six days for the series to start.

“Rest is not an option,” Garnett said. “So we don’t even think about that.”

Kendrick Perkins had 10 rebounds for Boston and Rajon Rondo scored seven of his 11 points in the fourth quarter, hitting a three-pointer with 1:47 left in the game after the Pistons cut the deficit to 83-75. Rondo also had seven assists and five steals while outplaying Chauncey Billups, the MVP of the 2004 NBA finals, in his return from a right hamstring injury.

“I believe in him. I play him. I’m going to keep playing him,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said of his point guard. “I told him before the game, ‘Stop worrying about them. Make them worry about you, too. You’re a hell of a basketball player.”‘

Added Billups: “They haven’t lost a game (at home); they should be confident. They have been very good here at home. We are usually a really good team; we didn’t have a good game today, but we look forward to Thursday.”