BOSTON (AP)- Paul Pierce returned home and made sure the Celtics would play there again.Boston’s captain scored 41 points, hit two clinching free throws with 7.9 seconds left and led the team with the NBA’s best regular season record to a 97-92 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday in Game 7 for a spot in the Eastern Conference finals.

That round begins Tuesday night against the Detroit Pistons in the same arena where the Celtics have won 14 straight games and are 8-0 in the postseason. Home teams are 22-2 in the second round of this season’s playoffs.

The Celtics are 0-6 on the road in the postseason.