BOSTON -- Right now, Jerry Stackhouse has to wish he was playing for the Roswell Rayguns, the fictitious ABA team he and other young NBA stars look so cool while dunking their way through Nike's latest ingenious ad campaign.

	Jerry Stackhouse, right, has been hounded by Paul Pierce and the Celtics.

Stackhouse would love to be living in that world because the one he lives in now isn't so fast, free and funky on the court. At least in those games, he'd be able to shoot a jumper without a hand in his face or an elbow in his side.

"It's tough out there to get quality looks," said Stackhouse, who, like the rest of the Detroit Pistons, has struggled to score while falling into a 3-1 series hole to the Boston Celtics. "When we get quality looks, we haven't been able to knock them down."

The unobstructed views have been few. The Pistons have been held under 80 points three straight games, shooting a Golden State Warriors-like 33.2 percent from the field. Credit the Celtics' defense. But also blame the Pistons' inability to support Stackhouse, who's been bottled up by Paul Pierce and friends.

"We've got to find a way to step up and make plays," said Stackhouse, who missed 10 of his 15 shots and scored just 16 points in Sunday's 90-79 loss. "It's tough because I want to be able to get isolations and just drive to the basket, but with the way they are tilting and have guys in the lanes, they're just forcing us to make other plays."

The Pistons won the Central Division because Stackhouse sacrificed shots and involved his teammates more on offense. But he's losing that trust with every missed 3-pointer against the Celtics.

Point guards Damon Jones and Chucky Atkins have shot a combined 4-for-17 -- 1-for-9 from 3-point range. And designated inside threat Corliss Williamson, who shot 51.0 percent in the regular season, has been harassed into 43.9 percent shooting the first four games.

As a team, the Pistons have shot .405 against Boston, next to last among all playoff teams. In the regular season, they ranked eighth in the league in field-goal percentage at .452.

"Cold shooting," replied Jones when asked to explain the Pistons' offensive ineptness. "We're getting the looks that we want. We're moving the ball well on offensive end and guys are getting open shots. The last two games, the shots just didn't fall."

	“	I think there are ways for us to score. Sometimes we have to be a little patient in things that we're doing out there. ”
		— Corliss Williamson

"We've got to have guys out on the floor confident and be able to be a threat," Stackhouse said. "When you do that, then it loosens up things."

It helps Williamson do his thing inside the paint. The frustration of the Sixth Man award winner was just as visible in the solemn Pistons locker room after Game 4.

"I think there are ways for us to score," Williamson said. "Sometimes we have to be a little patient in things that we're doing out there. I have to do a better job of getting position posting up as well, so hopefully we can come back and find a way to rectify the situation."

"We know and they know that you can't just live on jump shots. We're trying to get to the paint a little more and they're closing it down really good," said Michael Curry, who has scored a total of 14 points since his 15-point effort in Game 1. "But the reality is, they're playing better than us right now. That's it. They're playing better."

Keep the funk alive? The Pistons would like to escape their shooting funk to force a Game 6 on Thursday.

"Our ability to make shots will open things up a lot," Stackhouse said. "It's just plain and simple."

Joe Lago is the NBA editor for ESPN.com.