The Detroit Pistons defeated the Boston Celtics 117-97. Boston entered on a six-game winning streak that Detroit snapped, extending their winning streak to eight. Malik Beasley scored 26 points and Cade Cunningham had 21 with 11 assists. Jayson Tatum had 27 points, but it was not enough. The Celtics were without Jaylen Brown and Luke Kornet. Dennis Schroder, Simone Fontecchio, and Jaden Ivey were out for the Pistons. Detroit improved to 33-26 while the Boston Celtics dropped to 42-17.
The Boston Celtics Keep It Close
The Boston Celtics defeated the Pistons in their previous three meetings, but Detroit got off to a good start here. The Celtics missed their first few shots, and the Pistons took a 7-0 lead. Their lead quickly grew to double digits until Boston came back with a 7-0 run. Tatum drilled a three-pointer after an ankle-breaking crossover. Tatum followed that with a few more shots, and a Payton Pritchard three gave the Celtics the lead. The Pistons were tenacious on defense and in transition, so Boston’s lead did not last. Detroit closed the first quarter on an 11-0 run, pulling out to a 29-20 lead. Cunningham and Beasley had 8 points. Tatum had 12.
The Boston Celtics’ struggles continued into the second quarter, as they could not take care of the basketball. The Pistons were getting steals and fast break points whenever they wanted. Meanwhile, Boston’s shooting struggled. They were getting outhustled, outworked, and outplayed in nearly every aspect once Tatum subbed out. Cunningham, Beasley, Marcus Sasser, and Tobias Harris all took advantage. Despite this, the Boston Celtics stayed within striking distance and closed the gap on a 12-2 run, mainly through three-pointers. This propelled them to tie the game 55-55 at halftime.
The Pistons played an excellent first half due to their physicality. They were aggressive on defense, forcing 9 turnovers for 19 fast break points. Beasley led with 12 points, followed by Cunningham with 10, and Harris with 9. Detroit led by as many as 15, but the Celtics got hot and erased all their progress. In the first half, the Boston Celtics shot 53.6% from three. Tatum had 15 points, while Pritchard and Derrick White each had 12, but they still went down by 15. It was clear that the Pistons could beat them, as they led for the majority of the back-and-forth first half.
The Detroit Pistons Big Win
Detroit began the third quarter on a 6-0 run, pulling back out front. They were aggressive in the paint, and whenever the Boston Celtics made a three, the Pistons matched it on the next possession. The game went right back to how most of the first half went. Cunningham was scoring and distributing while Ausar Thompson and Harris harassed the Celtics on defense and Jalen Duren dominated the glass. The Pistons went back up by double digits. Their physical play gave them constant second chances and defensive stops. It also helped that Beasley could not miss a three. At the end of the third quarter, Detroit led 90-79.
Beasley stayed hot in the fourth quarter, knocking down back-to-back three-pointers. This fueled an 8-0 run that put the Pistons up by 19. The Detroit crowd was fired up and they had all the momentum. The Boston Celtics hit a few threes but never made a significant dent in the lead. Cunningham made a jumper that put the Pistons up 16 with five minutes to go, and that sealed the game. The Celtics pulled their starters and Detroit extended their lead. They went up by as many as 23 before the final buzzer sounded. The Pistons defeated the Boston Celtics 117-97.
Final Thoughts
The Pistons improved to 33-26 with the win. It extended their win streak to eight games and was one of their biggest wins of the season. Beasley led with 26 points off the bench and six three-pointers. Cunningham had 21 points and 11 assists. The Boston Celtics fell to 42-17, snapping their six-game winning streak. Tatum had 27 points, while White and Pritchard each had 18. Detroit will look to extend their streak against the Nuggets.
