Final: Celtics 111, Pistons 99 - Tatum's big second half holds off Detroit

Game 54: Celtics (-10.5) vs. Detroit Pistons, 7:00 p.m., NBCS Boston

Injuries: 

Boston: OUT- Danilo Gallinari, Marcus Smart (ankle), Luke Kornet (ankle)

QUESTIONABLE- Jaylen Brown (non-COVID illness)

Detroit: OUT- Cade Cunningham (leg), Marvin Bagley III (hand)

QUESTIONABLE- Isaiah Stewart (hip)

Pistons probable starters: Jaden Ivey, Alec Burks, Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart, Bojan Bogdanovic

Refs: Ben Taylor (#46), Ashley Moyer-Gleich (#13), John Conley (#79)

Last time they played: Celtics 117, Pistons 108, November 12 - This was a mostly blah game in the first half with the Celtics playing their third game in four nights (and a back-to-back) and looking like it. They struggled with their shooting, they allowed a bunch of offensive rebounds, and they saw Detroit go on a 3-point shooting binge. But then Jayson Tatum remembered he was the best player on the floor, and he went berserk in the second half for 28 points to finish with 43. Jaylen Brown, Malcolm Brogdon, and Al Horford missed the game.  

A little something about this game: The Pistons are 7-20 at home. They’ve lost three of their last four games but there's a postponed game in there (vs. Washington) because weather trapped them in Dallas. Saddiq Bey is on a roll, shooting 15-28 (7-16 3pt) over his past two games, scoring 47 combined points.

How the Celtics win: It shouldn’t matter if Brown plays or not. The Pistons are a terrible defensive team and Boston should be able to pick it apart with good ball movement. It won’t even take THAT much effort, but it will take some. The Celtics are only a game up on Milwaukee, and the Bucks are in Portland tonight, so there's a good chance a loss to Detroit could mean company at the top of the standings. 

How the Pistons win: Bey will have to keep his hot streak going. The Pistons will be aggressive crashing the boards, so winning the battle of the offensive boards to go along with some hot 3-point shooting will get the job done. 

Things I’m looking for:

-  Sense of urgency: The top of the standings are pretty bunched up and a rough stretch could send the Celtics into the All-Star break down as far as third in the East. It would be nice to see a team that realizes that and makes one big push heading into the break starting tonight. 

- Grant Williams bounceback: He’s been struggling lately, but he had a big game against the Pistons the first time around. I don’t know if his shoulder is bothering him or if he’s spooked by the trade deadline, but he needs to find a way to contribute more than he has been. 

- Derrick White’s impact: Detroit has some size in its backcourt. White got beat up a little in the first matchup, but the Celtics need him to set them up as the starting point guard, so let’s see if he can absorb the contact tonight and play through it. 

Follow along below or in the comments during the game, chime in, and let’s have fun.