Pistons Find Mark, Beat Celtics, 104-97 : NBA playoffs: With Thomas missing, Aguirre scores 34 to help Detroit even series, 2-2.

The Detroit Pistons had a different star in each quarter, but Mark Aguirre stood above them all.

Aguirre scored a season-best 34 points as the Pistons, playing without injured Isiah Thomas, beat the Boston Celtics, 104-97, Monday night to even the Eastern Conference semifinals at two games apiece.

“This game was a credit to the NBA,” Detroit Coach Chuck Daly said. “This was about men with pride. If you are a purist, this was a heck of a game. We had a lot of people step up tonight.”

James Edwards scored 14 for the Pistons in the first quarter, Joe Dumars 12 in the second, and Aguirre 10 in each of the last two.

“This was a desperate game for them, and they played with more intensity,” Boston Coach Chris Ford said. “Now we go back to Boston all even.

“We gave them too many free throws and they just dominated the boards. We had no answer for Mark Aguirre. He has always been a great offensive player, but we didn’t do the job.”

It was Aguirre’s best game since coming to Detroit in February, 1989 in a deal that sent Adrian Dantley to the Dallas Mavericks. His previous best was 32 points for the Pistons, who are attempting to become only the third team in history to win three consecutive NBA championships.

“With Isiah out, I knew I would get a lot of shots,” said Aguirre, who was 11 for 16 from the field and 10 for 13 from the foul line. “I knew I was going to get my number called tonight, so I was ready and I was looking to shoot. I felt comfortable when I had the ball. I was really in a groove.”

The Pistons, who were routed, 115-83, in Game 3, outrebounded the Celtics, 50-30, including 15-3 off the offensive boards. The Pistons won despite shooting only 44% from the field. The Celtics shot 50%.

“They scored 97 tonight, and that’s a Pistons’ ballgame,” Aguirre said. “To lose and go down fighting is OK, but to get crushed like that (in Game 3) is embarrassing.”

Dennis Rodman and Dumars each played all 48 minutes for Detroit. Rodman, named the NBA’s defensive player of the year earlier in the day, pulled down 18 rebounds. Dumars scored 24 points.

“I played high-intensity defense, and that sends a message to the other guys,” Rodman said. “Everybody said that the Pistons couldn’t win without Isiah, and we showed we could.”

Kevin McHale led Boston with 28 points and Reggie Lewis added 20 for the Celtics, who play host to Game 5 Wednesday night. Game 6 is back at the Palace on Friday night.

“They just cause a humongous commotion in there with their rebounding,” McHale said. “Our inability to rebound was just very evident all night. They really were banging the boards.”

The Pistons now are 5-0 in playoff games in which they have held their opponents under 100 points, and 0-4 when allowing 100 or more.

Thomas, the Pistons’ floor leader, sprained his right foot late in the Pistons’ victory in Game 1 and sat out the second game but played in Game 3. He didn’t practice Sunday and didn’t take part in the team’s shoot-around earlier Monday. But he dressed and was on the bench for Game 4.

Aguirre had eight of Detroit’s first 12 fourth-quarter points to give the Pistons their biggest lead, 94-83, with 7:09 left in the game.

The Celtics worked the deficit down to 97-91 on a basket by Larry Bird with 3:49 remaining but got no closer. Bird, playing his second consecutive game despite a sore back, finished with 13 points.

The score was 53-53 at halftime, and the Pistons led, 66-65, with 5:36 left in the third quarter. But Aquirre had two three-point baskets and a three-point play as the Pistons rolled to an 82-74 lead with 1:24 left in the quarter and took an 82-76 lead into the fourth quarter.