The Celtics’ six-game win streak, eight-game road win streak, and 12-game win streak over the Pistons were all snapped on Wednesday night with a 117-97 loss in Detroit. The 20-point defeat was their second-largest of the season, only behind their 21-point loss to the Lakers.
Without Jaylen Brown (left thigh contusion) and Luke Kornet (personal reasons) on the second night of a back-to-back, the Celtics looked sluggish and couldn’t match the energy of a young Pistons team eager to make a statement against the reigning champions. The Pistons earned their eighth consecutive victory, tying the Cleveland Cavaliers for the league’s longest active win streak.
Al Horford and Jrue Holiday returned to the lineup after resting in Toronto the night before, but both were underwhelming, combining for just 5-of-20 shooting and 3-of-14 from three. Kristaps Porzingis, who also missed the Toronto game due to illness, finished with 11 points on 4-of-11 (36.4%) shooting, five fouls, and two turnovers, registering a season-worst -24.
“I was terrible tonight. We just had a really bad game,” said Porzingis. “We fought, but they were physical, and for them, this was a really important game. They really wanted to win. We battled as strong as we could, but we just fell short.”
Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 27 points on 10-of-19 shooting, adding six rebounds and three assists. Derrick White scored 18 points behind five three-pointers, extending his streak of five or more made threes to a career-best three games. Payton Pritchard also added 18 points, hitting five threes of his own, setting a new franchise record for games with five or more made threes with 19.
Malik Beasley scored 26 points off the bench for Detroit, while Cade Cunningham added a double-double with 21 points and 11 assists.
Here are five takeaways from the loss.
Three-point shooting made it interesting in the second quarter (and saved Boston from further embarrassment)
A late 11-0 Detroit run over the final 2:35 of the first quarter left Boston in a nine-point hole entering the second. The Pistons pushed that lead to as many as 15 in the second quarter before an avalanche of Boston threes erased the deficit, tying the game at halftime.
The Celtics knocked down 11 three-pointers in the second quarter, tied for the second-most in franchise history. They set the franchise record with 12 earlier this season against the Clippers.
Boston has hit 10+ threes in five different quarters this season—the rest of the NBA has combined for just eight such quarters.
On the night, the Celtics made 21 three-pointers. In the Joe Mazzulla era, Boston was previously 38-2 when making 21+ threes. They became just the third team in league history to hit 21 threes and lose by 20+ points.
If not for the threes, Boston might have lost by 30. They looked every bit like a team playing its third game in four nights and nowhere near their usual selves.
Detroit dominated the paint
For as well as the Celtics shot from downtown, their inside game was virtually nonexistent. Boston shot just 12-of-31 (38.7%) on two-point attempts, with their 12 makes being the fewest in franchise history (!).
Meanwhile, Detroit dominated inside, shooting 34-of-56 (60.7%) from two-point range, with 31 of those makes coming in the paint. The Pistons outscored the Celtics 62-20 in the paint, converting 66.0% of their looks.
Detroit also dominated the offensive glass, grabbing 14 offensive rebounds that led to 15 second-chance points, while Boston managed just seven offensive boards and nine second-chance points.
The absence of Luke Kornet was felt in this one. It’s easy to overlook his role, but Wednesday night’s loss really highlighted his importance.
Boston’s miscues helped Detroit get going
Perhaps the most telling stat about how off the Celtics were on Wednesday night is the turnovers. Boston turned the ball over 19 times, tied for the second-most by them in a game this season. They entered the night averaging just 12.0 per game, the second-fewest in the NBA.
“They are a good defensive team,” Joe Mazzulla said after the game. “You have to give credit to them defensively, but at the same time, we’ve got to be better executing. Whether it’s our screening, our spacing, our decision making.”
Detroit certainly deserves credit. They played hard all night, especially on the defensive end. But the Celtics did themselves no favors, with those 19 turnovers leading to 24 Pistons points.
As Mazzulla noted, it was a mix of Detroit’s defensive intensity and the Celtics’ lackluster decision-making and execution that led to the high turnover count, which has been a rarity for the Celtics this season.
Detroit basketball is back
Last season, the Pistons set a dubious record for the longest single-season losing streak in NBA history, dropping 28 consecutive games. Fast forward to this season, and with Wednesday night’s win, they’ve now strung together eight straight victories—their longest in-season win streak since a 10-game run in 2008.
The turnaround has been remarkable. They’ve already surpassed their combined win total from the past two seasons and still have 23 games left to play.
The transformation led by general manager Trajan Langdon and coach J.B. Bickerstaff is fascinating. With a core of young talent—including Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson, and Isaiah Stewart (who’s still just 23)—this could be the beginning of something.
“Haven’t had an environment like that in Detroit, s—, probably since I’ve been in the league,” Jayson Tatum after the game. “I’m happy for them. They are trying to build something, and it took a couple of years, and they are playing some winning basketball. That’s what you want in the NBA. You want it to be competitive.”
Now tied for the fifth seed in the East with Milwaukee and just one game behind Indiana for the fourth seed, the Pistons look every bit like a team capable of winning a first-round playoff series.
A chance to make a statement
The Celtics have been vocal about their desire to improve at home, where they currently sit at 18-10 this season. The upcoming stretch presents a perfect opportunity to do just that.
As they return to Boston, the Celtics are gearing up for their longest homestand of the season—seven games over 13 days. Four of those matchups are against top-five teams in their respective conferences, including both one-seeds, the Cavaliers and Thunder, as well as the Nuggets (3) and Lakers (5).
“We’re going to be home for a while, so get back to defending our home court and get some wins,” Jayson Tatum said. “Just play well in front of our crowd. That’s what I’m really looking forward to.”
The Celtics have consistently emphasized two things: peaking at the right time and improving at home. With this stretch, they have a prime opportunity to build on doing both.
Related
