Celtics count on home

WALTHAM, Mass. – The Boston Celtics can drive by the statue of Red Auerbach on their way to work today, pick up some lunch at Faneuil Hall and then warm up under the 16 NBA championship banners their predecessors helped hang from the rafters.

They’re back home again, and that’s been the surest sign of success for them so far in this year’s playoffs.

“We’re right where we want to be: We’ve got an opportunity to advance to the Eastern Conference finals,” forward Paul Pierce said Saturday after the Celtics held a short walkthrough followed by a long series of semi-friendly games of 1-on-1.

“This is the reason we got the best record in the NBA for,” Pierce said. “We’ve got to play one more great game in order to advance.”

The Celtics will host Cleveland in the decisive game of their best-of-7 series today at the new Boston Garden, where the green team has yet to lose in the postseason.

The Celtics had a chance to close out the Cavaliers in Cleveland on Friday but lost 74-69. That forced the series to a seventh game, which the Celtics earned the right to play in Boston by blistering through the regular season with an NBA-best 66-16 record.

And suddenly, that 0-6 playoff road mark doesn’t seem so important after all.

“They are at home and are expected to win,” Cavaliers forward Ben Wallace said.