BSJ Game Report: Pistons 117, Celtics 97 - Pistons swarm Celtics with tough defense

Everything you need to know about the Celtics loss to the Pistons, with BSJ insight and analysis.

IN A NUTSHELL

The Pistons opened on a 13-2 run, which was answered with an 18-5 Boston run, which was answered by an 11-0 Detroit run. Detroit’s nine-point lead grew to 15 but the Celtics unleashed a barrage of 3-pointers to tie the game at halftime. Boston’s defense stayed in the locker room at the half and Detroit got 62% to open another 11-point lead. They carried that momentum into the fourth and the Celtics were never able to regain their footing.

Box Score

HEADLINES

- Detroit REALLY wanted this game: This was a HUGE game for the Pistons. All but one of the wins in their seven-game winning streak had come against teams with losing records, so facing the champs was clearly their opportunity to send a message. They played super hard the whole game, defended their butts off, and attacked the rim. Malik Beasley scored 26 points off the bench and he was dancing and hollering after each basket. Ausar Thompson was a defensive menace (five steals), and Cade Cunningham put up a steady 21-point, 11-assist game. 

- C’s ran out of gas: This looked very much like a team playing their third game in four nights. Aside from that second-quarter shooting blitz, the Celtics looked slow and out of sorts most of the night. They did none of the dirty work Detroit was doing.  

- Stinker from Porzingis: He played like a guy who was sick heading into the game. He couldn't keep up with anything the Pistons were doing. He was the opposite of all the great things he’d been doing for Boston’s defense.  

TURNING POINT 

I’ll just go with the whole third quarter. The Pistons came out on a 7-0 run and though the Celtics kept it somewhat close, the entire quarter made it clear that Detroit was on a different level in this game. Watching the third quarter made me think the Celtics only chance at winning was another absurd shooting run. They didn’t have it in them. 

THINGS I LIKED

- 11 3-pointers in the second quarter: Remember that? That was fun! I hope people went to bed after that game. At least they could sleep well. 

- Derrick White: A rare night where White played well (18 points, 50% shooting, three rebounds, three assists) and the Celtics didn’t look good. Also, he hit an alley oop 3-pointer. 

You don’t see that very often. 

Payton Pritchard: He finished with 18 points, going 5-8 from 3. He played 31:23 and was only a -5, best of the non-garbage time group.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE

- Turnovers: Boston coughed it up 19 times for 24 Pistons points. Tatum had a horrible stretch late in the first quarter when Ausar Thompson kept ripping him. Thompson finished with five steals, which is a killer. 

- Losing the margins: Detroit didn’t just win the turnover battle, they got up more shots, had more offensive rebounds, took and hit more free throws, and had more assists. They did all the little things that added up to a 20 point win. 

How bad was it? The Celtics won the 3-point battle 21-13 and got blown out. That never happens. And when I say that never happens, they were 14-0 this season when they made 21 or more 3-pointers. So this literally is the first time it’s happened this season.

- Kristaps Porzingis: “I was terrible tonight,” was his honest assessment of himself afterward. He was a -24 on the night, 10 points worse than anyone else on the team. 

- Al Horford and Jrue Holiday: I’m just lumping them together because neither could hit much of anything. Holiday was especially cold, going 2-10 overall and 0-5 from 3. Horford was 3-10 (3-9 3pt). 

- Neemias Queta: Was out of position so much in the first half that multiple players had to pull him aside to remind him where to be. 

HIGHLIGHTS

ONE TAKE KARALIS WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER

- The Pistons are for real (and really fun). 

I have a soft spot for this Pistons team. I think people sold on Cunningham too quickly and I think they were smart to make the coaching change they needed to make despite the financial cost. 

They got some outlier performances in this game, for sure. They were rested and excited for this game and they played some really tough basketball. Yes, the Celtics were missing Jaylen Brown and he would have obviously helped them a lot. They were making the kind of uncharacteristic mistakes a tired team usually makes, so it’s easy to flush a lot of what happened. 

But I want to give the Pistons the credit they deserve for this win. It wasn’t the Raptors pounding on a disengaged Boston team. The Celtics were fighting and trying, they just didn’t have anything in the tank. The Pistons had plenty. 

This could end up being a playoff matchup for Boston. And while this loss doesn’t worry me in that regard, the Pistons definitely gained some confidence with this win. 

Next up: The Celtics start a long homestand Friday night against Cleveland