On December 4, the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons performed a stellar basketball recreation at TD Backyard — an exciting, back-and-forth affair that noticed the 2 groups mix for 250 factors and 41 made three-pointers. Simply over every week later, Thursday night time rematch on the identical court docket yielded a vastly completely different outcome. The Celtics shrugged off an unsightly first quarter to imagine a snug benefit over the Pistons that they maintained all through a recreation that largely lacked a lot for drama, and picked up their twentieth win of the season with a 123-99 victory at residence.
It was a balanced assault for the Celtics tonight, with six gamers recording double-figure scoring on the night. Main the best way was a red-hot Payton Pritchard, who scored 27 factors, dished 10 assists and drilled seven threes, outpacing a powerful effort from Derrick White (23 factors, seven threes).Kristaps Porzingis added 19 factors, whereas Jaylen Brown scored simply 14 however tacked on 9 rebounds and 6 help. For the Pistons, not a lot went proper. They shot simply 38% from the sector earlier than rubbish time, together with a dismal 6-of-34 from three-point vary. Cade Cunningham led the best way for Detroit, such because it was, with 18 factors, eight rebounds and eight assists.
The Celtics have been quick a good bit of offensive punch, missing the companies of Jayson Tatum (knee) and Sam Hauser (adductor), the latter of whom recorded a season-high 20 factors in opposition to Detroit only a week prior. Each absences have been painfully evident within the early minutes of this recreation, because the Celtics struggled by way of a number of the ugliest basketball they’ve performed this season. They made simply 4 of their first 18 pictures from the sector for the night time, coughing up three turnovers within the course of. After piling up 26 factors within the first six minutes of final week’s matchup, it took them practically the complete first quarter to do likewise tonight. They led the Pistons 27-16 after one quarter, on the power of a 14-2 run.
Shorthanded on the wing and struggling to discover a scoring rhythm, Boston leaded on its frontcourt to search out a bonus in opposition to Detroit this night. Porzingis took on the function of the quantity scorer by way of the early scoring drought, but it surely was Luke Kornet who sparked the offense again into respectability with a game-high eight first quarter factors off the bench, together with a pair of thrilling finishes on the rim. Neemias Queta even noticed some early minutes because the fourth heart on the depth chart, signaling that the Celtics noticed their win coming from inside in a contest the place Detroit gave the impression to be promoting out to cease the three-pointer.
The Celtics’ early benefit was aided by a Detroit offense that appeared much more averse to scoring than Boston’s. The Pistons shot a ghastly sub-30% from the sector within the first quarter and missed their first 13 three-pointers of the sport. Within the second quarter, although, the gears lastly began to get into movement. Simone Fontecchio broke the three-point drought with a nook triple, a part of a modest 13-6 begin to the quarter for the Pistons that drew them again inside two possessions of the Boston lead.
The Celtics have been fast on the counterpunch. Because the Pistons launched into one other three-point drought, an more and more snug Boston offense rattled off a 10-0 run. Supercharged by a usually energetic Pritchard (14 factors, 4 threes within the first half), the Celtics regarded way more snug creating off the dribble and began to bury Detroit beneath an onslaught of threes. They cracked the 30-point threshold within the second quarter, and entered the halftime break having fun with a 15-point benefit, 59-44.
It was a very attention-grabbing function for Brown within the first half this night, because the Celtics’ star eschewed his customary function as a quantity scorer to function extra of a discipline basic. He scored simply 4 factors within the first half, however dealt 5 assists and posted a team-high +20 plus-minus. Early within the second half, he cashed in on his first three-pointer of the sport — remarkably, additionally his first try — however he completed with a modest 12 shot makes an attempt for the sport, taking a voluntary backseat to the remainder of the Celtics’ offense.
Boston’s lead swelled to twenty factors early within the third quarter, as they continued their sizzling streak from deep and recorded a freebie on a technical foul in opposition to Harris. Led by Brown and Porzingis, the Celtics settled right into a methodical rhythm — crisp ball motion resulting in open, environment friendly pictures — and closely outpaced the struggling Pistons. Prichard joined the second half scoring frenzy with a deep triple from the left wing late within the nook, and the Celtics have been out of the blue inside arm’s attain of a 30-point lead within the last minute of the quarter. In the end, they’d enter the fourth with a 25-point edge, 93-68.
Naturally, there wasn’t a lot drama to the fourth quarter. Mazzulla held off on emptying the bench, opting to play a few his rotation gamers alongside the reserves for the early minutes of the quarter. As they neared the halfway level, Pritchard cashed in on a 3 — his sixth — to crack the 30-point threshold for Boston. That was the what it took for Mazzulla to tug the plug and run down the clock for the win.
Subsequent up, the Celtics will pack their baggage and head to the nation’s capital, squaring off with the Washington Wizards this Sunday at 6 PM EST on NBC Sports activities Boston.
