Monday night’s 119-94 victory over the Detroit Pistons followed a familiar script from the previous night. Despite missing three of their top six players (Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday, and Al Horford), the Celtics clinched another impressive double-digit win, marking their 34th such victory of the season.
The only difference was that this game remained tighter in the first half before the Celtics pulled away for a comfortable win.
Before the game, Joe Mazzulla praised his team’s ability to adapt and fill roles as one of their greatest strengths, and they didn’t disappoint.
“I think that’s the thing about this team: regardless of who’s been in or out, guys have just filled roles. That’s the most important thing,” Mazzulla said. “Coming from everybody. And that’s the job that each guy has, regardless of who’s in or out: play the system on both sides of the ball and compete at a high level, and I think the guys have done a great job doing that.”
Throughout the season, the Celtics have gained a reputation for delivering decisive blows, and they did it again Monday night despite missing some key players.
Boston was up by 11 points at the 5:24 mark of the third quarter before blowing the game open.
Led by Jaylen Brown, the Celtics closed the third quarter with a 19-4 run, turning their 11-point lead into a commanding 26-point advantage, effectively sealing the Pistons’ fate.
Brown scored 11 of Boston’s 19 points during that run, and his steal and fast-paced play set up one of the surge’s defining moments — a Xavier Tillman layup off a slick behind-the-back pass from Payton Pritchard.
Once again, the Celtics took care of business, earning their sixth consecutive win, advancing to an NBA-best 10-2 on the second night of a back-to-back and 26-1 against teams below .500, also an NBA-best.
Boston’s 25-point victory marked their 14th win by 25 or more points this season, the most in franchise history and one shy of the NBA record. The Celtics have only had two games this month that were decided by single digits.
Brown led the Green with 31 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. The three-time All-Star has scored 30 points in five of 11 games since the All-Star break.
Since returning from the break, Brown has the NBA’s fourth-best scoring average, averaging 29.1 points per game. He trails only Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. When Brown reaches the 30-point mark, Boston is 12-2.
For Detroit, Jaden Ivey led the way with 21 points.
Here are four takeaways as the Celtics advance to 40 games above .500 and earn their eighth consecutive win at home, improving their win margin to 26.9 over that stretch.
Derrick White notches his first career triple-double
For about three minutes in the fourth quarter, Derrick White did everything he could to find an open shooter. He knew he was on the verge of a triple-double, and everyone in the arena did, too.
“I’m not usually the one that tries to chase stats or whatnot, but I saw I was two [assists] away,” White said postgame. “That’s probably why I had those three turnovers there at the end, but I mean, I’ve been close a lot of times, so I was like, I’m going to try and get it this time.”
After James Wiseman tipped Malachi Flynn’s missed three-pointer out of bounds, Mazzulla called a timeout. White put his head down, thinking his potential bid had ended.
However, during the timeout, Mazzulla told White he had about a minute to try to get that assist, and White remained on the floor.
After the timeout, the Celtics went to an off-ball action with Payton Pritchard and Svi Mykhailiuk, with Pritchard perfectly reading the Mykhailiuk screen, popping out and draining the triple.
As the ball found the bottom of the net, White pointed to Pritchard, pumped his fist, and almost immediately, Jaden Springer hopped off the bench to relieve White.
Reflecting postgame, White, known for his unselfish play, admitted that chasing stats felt uncomfortable and out of character.
"It was weird," White said. "I didn't like it, and I didn't play too well doing it, so I have to not do that ever again, hopefully."
The 29-year-old finished the night with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, joining Jaylen Brown as the only Celtics two Celtics to post a triple-double this season – a feat only 11 Celtics have accomplished since 2015.
“It’s great for him. I’m happy for him,” Mazzulla said on White’s triple-double postgame. “He’s continuing to grow as a two-way player on both sides of the ball…. The triple-double is an example of who he is as a player, but it doesn’t show how great he is on both ends of the floor.”
To Mazzulla’s point, the All-Defensive guard registered two steals and a block to accompany his triple-double. Standing at 6-foot-4, White has amassed 81 blocks this season, ranking 14th overall in the NBA and leading all guards. It’s worth noting that White also led all guards in blocks last year and maintains a substantial lead this season, currently ahead of the next closest guard, Alex Caruso, by 27 blocks.
“It’s hard not to love him,” Porzingis said on White after the game. “This guy, just on and off the court, is a unique human and a unique player. I can go on and on and give compliments to D-White about who he is. Everyone loves him here.”
White also knocked down a game-high six triples, becoming just the third player in Celtics history to post a triple-double while making at least six three-pointers, joining Antoine Walker and Payton Pritchard.
The final of his six made three-pointers pushed the Colorado native over the 5,000 career-point mark, an impressive accomplishment for a player who had no Division I scholarship offers. His only collegiate offers came from a junior college in Wyoming and a preferred walk-on, partial scholarship to a Division II school.
“It’s a lot of hard work,” White said on how far he’s come postgame.
“Shoutout to [University of Colorado Colorado Springs] for giving me the keys as a freshman. Made a lot of mistakes there, which helped me grow and learn a lot. So, I think from that moment when they gave me the keys as a freshman, [it] allowed me to just continue to gain confidence, learn, [and] grow. And I think that’s what I’m probably most proud of is I never stopped learning and growing.”
Kristaps Porzingis doesn’t miss a beat in return
After missing the last five games due to tightness in his right hamstring, Porzingis returned to action on Monday night.
“Felt great,” the big man said postgame. “Just different because I had the minutes restriction.”
After playing just 6:12 in the first half, Porzingis played over 15 straight in the second half and finished the night with 20 points on 7-of-14 (50%) shooting, eight boards, a steal, and a block.
“He played the minutes that he needed to play. He came out good,” Mazzulla said on Porzingis postgame.” It didn’t look like he missed too much of a beat on either end of the floor. So it’s good to see, even with some of that time off, he can kinda continue that rhythm.”
Porzingis, who has looked good participating in individual work at the Auerbach Center and before games, said postgame that he would’ve played through the injury if it were the postseason and that he was held out to err on the side of caution.
“It was mostly out of caution, to be honest. If it were life or death, or if it were playoffs, I would’ve been completely fine,” Porzingis said on the absence. “I wanted to play earlier. I wanted to play the second Phoenix game. I was pushing for it, but I understood to be cautious and be smart.”
As the Celtics near clinching the top seed in the East, ensuring player health becomes their main priority moving forward. Porzingis’ well-being is paramount, so it’s no surprise that the Celtics approached his return with extreme caution.
Controlling the perimeter
After Sam Hauser made history with his shooting beyond the arc Sunday, the Celtics followed suit by once again establishing their excellence from long range in the record books.
Boston shot 22-of-49 (44.9%) from beyond the arc Monday night, becoming the first team in NBA history to make at least 20 three-pointers in four consecutive games. The Celtics have made 91 triples during that stretch, tied for the second-most in NBA history over any four-game span. The next closest team over that span is the Hawks, who have buried 60.
The Celtics outscored Detroit 66-27 on the perimeter. Over its last four games, Boston has outscored its opponents 273-135 on the perimeter.
In today’s NBA, where games are often won or lost on the perimeter, Boston’s consistent dominance in this aspect has been a driving force behind their success.
With Monday night’s win, the Celtics improved to an impressive 46-5 when they make the same amount or more threes as their opponents.
Boston is averaging 16.6 made threes per game, just shy of the NBA record of 16.7 set by the 2020-21 Utah Jazz. Clearly, the Celtics are reaping the benefits of their dominance from beyond the arc.
Defense sets the tone
Once again, Boston’s work on the defensive end made life easier for the offense. The Celtics threw a variety of defensive coverages at Detroit, effectively disrupting the Pistons’ rhythm and preventing them from reaching the century mark.
The Celtics held the visitors to just 94 points on 36-of-84 (42.9%) shooting from the field and 9-of-29 (31.0%) from deep. Boston also forced 12 takeaways.
Ten Celtics touched the floor Monday night, and each brought energy to the defensive end – an identity the Celtics have been striving to establish since the dog days of training camp.
There was no weak link on the defensive side of the ball, speaking to the elite defensive talent on the roster, considering they were down three of their top six players.
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