
(Eric Canha-Imagn Images)
Final: Celtics 123, Piston 99 - Pritchard, White, combine for 50 in easy win
BOSTON CELTICS (19-4) vs. DETROIT PISTONS (10-15)
TD Garden, 7:30 p.m. - NBCS Boston, NBA TV
Line: Boston -11.5
INJURIES
Boston: Jayson Tatum (OUT, knee), Sam Hauser (OUT, adductor), Jaden Springer (OUT, illness)
Detroit: Jalen Duren (QUESTIONABLE, wrist), Bobi Klintman (OUT, calf)
THINGS I’M LOOKING FOR
1. Jaylen Brown: With Tatum out, Brown gets to be the main star of the show again. We’ve seen him do this incredibly well recently, taking on the distribution role against these same Pistons with Tatum out last week. He finished with 28 points on 10-21 shooting, nine assists, six rebounds, and three steals. He easily could have had more assists had the shooting not stalled. Let’s see if he can do it again. Maybe the four days off since the last game can help.
2. Kristaps Porzingis: He’s a tough matchup for the Pistons. I’m watching for him at both ends, blocking shots when Cade Cunningham drives and then taking advantage of smaller bigs on the other end.
3. The mystery man: Without Tatum and Hauser, Joe Mazzulla might dive into his bench for a surprise contributor. Then again, I thought that last time and Mazzulla shortened his rotation so the man in question might not be a mystery at all. This could simply be a big-minute game for Payton Pritchard because Boston has two days off before heading to Washington.
Follow along with my thoughts as the game goes on. They’ll show up below and in the comments section, so hop in and share your opinion as well.
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