AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Antonio McDyess is relieved he didn't retire when his knees and career were in shambles.

The Detroit Pistons are, too.

Playing his best playoff game in perhaps a decade, McDyess had 21 points and 16 rebounds to lift Detroit to a 94-75 series-evening win over the Boston Celtics on Monday night in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals.

McDyess' banged-up left knee limited him to 10 games during the 2001-02 season in Denver, none the next and just 42 the following season with New York and Phoenix.

The former All-Star and Olympian was tired of rehabbing his left knee after one too many surgeries. McDyess told his agent, Andy Miller, he wanted to buy out of his contract at least twice during the 2003-04 season.

But he didn't, and Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars, looking for an affordable replacement for Mehmet Okur, liked what he saw in McDyess.

"No one can understand where I'm coming from when I felt how I felt at that part of my career when I felt like it was over," McDyess said. "I mean, I was laying in the bed thinking, `Hey, this is going to be it.'

"And now, I've just reinvented myself coming to this team. Joe gave me an opportunity, and I just try to take full advantage of every second."

The 33-year-old power forward often plays with the most energy on a team that traditionally peaks and flops depending on whether its up, even or behind in a series.

"You only have so many opportunities, and they're limited, especially for me," he said. "I'm at the end of my career, and I just feel like leaving everything out on the floor."

McDyess did just that, beating the Celtics to loose balls, defending them with strength and quickness and making most of his shots.

"Dice has been our best player in the postseason, and we're all feeding off his energy," teammate and close friend Chauncey Billups said. "You see how hard he is working, and you can't help but play hard."

Playing hard probably won't be a problem for either team or any player during the rest of the Eastern Conference finals.

Game 5 is Wednesday night in Boston, then the Pistons will host Game 6 on Friday night. If Game 7 is necessary, the Celtics will play it at home Sunday night.

"It's almost like 0-0 again, it's a three-game series," Boston's Ray Allen said. "We've got to protect our home court. We lost the last game at home, and definitely are going to have to win on their court for us to send a message or definitely move on."

The NBA's top-seeded team won its first nine games of the postseason at home before losing Game 2 to Detroit.