Post Game - Celtics vs. Detroit Pistons - Friday, March 22 (W)

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401585639

No bench huh?????????

Celtics-Pistons takeaways: Brown, Pritchard lead C's to eighth straight win

https://sports.yahoo.com/celtics-pistons-takeaways-brown-pritchard-013528241.html

Justin Leger
Fri, Mar 22, 2024, 9:35 PM EDT·4 min read

Celtics-Pistons takeaways: Brown, Pritchard lead C's to eighth straight win originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Three Key Storylines

Jaylen Brown can't miss
Payton Pritchard still scorching
Sam Hauser picks up where he left off

The Boston Celtics started their six-game road trip with a win over the Detroit Pistons on Friday night, their eighth consecutive victory.

After a tightly contested first quarter, the C's tightened up their defense and took control. They went from trailing by one with 7:30 left in the second quarter to taking a 16-point lead into the half.

From there, the first-place team in the Eastern Conference asserted its dominance over the second-worst team in the league. Boston cruised to a 129-102 win to improve to an NBA-best 56-14 on the season.

The Celtics were victorious despite missing Jayson Tatum (ankle), Jrue Holiday (shoulder), and Al Horford (toe). Jaylen Brown stepped up with a game-high 33 points while Payton Pritchard contributed 20 points in his third start of the campaign. Derrick White was two rebounds shy of his second triple-double, finishing with 19 points, 11 assists, and eight boards.

James Wiseman scored a team-high 24 points for Detroit. Jaden Ivey and Cade Cunningham added 16 and 15, respectively.

Boston will visit the Chicago Bulls (34-36) for the second night of a back-to-back on Saturday. First, here are three takeaways from Friday's game.

Jaylen Brown can't miss

Brown entered Friday averaging 32.5 points when Tatum has been out this season. He raised that number in Detroit.

As he's done all year, the three-time All-Star got off to a fast start with 10 first-quarter points. He was virtually automatic from the field, drilling eight of his nine shots in the first half.



Brown's hot shooting continued in the second half. He ended up 10-of-11 on 2-pointers and 3-of-8 from beyond the arc. Along with his game-high 33 points, he was a force on the defensive end with four steals.

Since the All-Star break, Brown has taken his game to another level. The 27-year-old is averaging 28.8 points per game in that span.

Payton Pritchard still scorching

The best stretch of Pritchard's career continued Friday night at Little Caesars Arena

The C's guard entered the matchup averaging 18.7 points and shooting 52.5 percent from the floor (21-for-40) over his last three games. He carried the momentum from his 19-point outburst vs. Milwaukee into Detroit, dropping 16 points and dishing seven assists in the first half.

He capped off an eight-point first quarter with a buzzer-beater:



According to Celtics stats guru Dick Lipe, Pritchard is only the fourth Celtic in the play-by-play era to have at least 16 points, four 3-pointers, and seven assists in the first half. Derrick White, Marcus Smart, and Paul Pierce are the other three who have accomplished the feat.

Pritchard finished with 20 points (8-15 FG, 4-9 3-PT) and nine assists. The C's will look for him to stay hot while filling in for fellow guard Jrue Holiday, who's reportedly dealing with "dead arm" and has no timetable for his return.

Sam Hauser picks up where he left off

Hauser returned to the floor after missing two games with the left ankle sprain he suffered during his historic performance in Washington D.C. The Celtics' sharpshooter didn't hesitate to let it fly.

He quickly showed he hasn't lost his shooting touch, tallying 11 points in the first half on 3-of-8 shooting from deep.



While Hauser wasn't as efficient as that memorable night vs. the Wizards, he still did damage for the second unit. He led all bench players on both teams with 14 points and was 4-of-11 from beyond the arc in his 24 minutes.



Hauser has scored in double figures in four of his last five games. Like Pritchard, he's in the midst of perhaps the most productive stretch of his career. Both players should have every opportunity to keep their hot streaks going Saturday night in Chicago.

They suck, we don't.  They were down 7 players we were down 3.  Not reading too much into this either way other than I didn't like Wiseman getting all those offensive rebounds in the 1st quarter.

Having said that, though, Wiseman had 2 offensive boards in the 1st, 2 more in the 2nd but only a total of 5 by the end.  Joe was absolutely furious with Tillman in the first half, I'm betting because he wasn't keeping Wiseman off the boards, but it got fixed over halftime.  1 offensive rebound for Wiseman in the entire 2nd half.

Derrick was 2 rebounds away from the second triple-double of his career.

Pritch da god was still smoking.  20 points on 8-15, 4-9 from 3.  He also had 9 assists and only 1 turnover.  He is currently 9th in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio @ 4.18:1.  Nice.  Very nice.  Two years ago I would not have been comfortable with him running the offense.  Shooting?  Hell yeah, but being a floor general?  Not so much.  Now?  Absolutely.  There has been a BIG step up in his game in that area.  He's also a much more effective driver.  He could always take defenders off the dribble but now he knows how to get them off his back in the paint. Another thing that has impressed me about Payton of late is how ferocious and aggressive his defense is. He really gets into his man.

Chris Forsberg @ChrisForsberg_
about 3 hours ago
Buzzer Beater P: Pritchard has taken 25 shots with 1 second or less remaining in a quarter this season. He’s made 8 of them. (Five heaves, 8 shots overall beyond 30 feet. But he’s getting those shots up).


Jaylen has just been killing it since the ASG. Averaging close to 29ppg. He was 13-19 for 33 points tonight. He had 4 steals, but 4 turnovers. We had a total of 7, he had 4. Overall we have been VERY good at taking care of the ball in the past few weeks we've been on this, now, 8 game winning streak.


Luke with 4 assists and zero turnovers in 17 minutes. Queta with 2 assists and zero turnovers in 3 minutes. WTF is Joe feeding our bigs, or is it Al?


Sean Grande
@SeanGrandePBP
129-102 is the final.

Another 20-point for the Celtics (56-14)...and here's the real-time update...the 2023-24 Celtics once again have the 4th best scoring differential in NBA history.




Bob


.

I'm not going to read too much into this one either. We're not going to see these guys in the playoffs. The bench did get some extended play time together. Can't put a price on that.

If Jason Tatum did win the MVP for the season, which he won't, but if he did, I would hope he would graciously give it back. The Celtics never have, nor ever will need an MVP for the year. Even with Bird, he was the most valuable player for the TEAM and not for himself. Bird was spectacular and was deserving of all his MVP trophies. But who do you think of when you think of those 80's teams? Immediately Parish, McHale, DJ, etc. on down the line. See what I mean, Vern?! Now PHI? Clearly they need Embiid. They won't make it out of the play-in without him. PHI has cut their jugular with Embiid being out. DEN? They clearly have to have Jokic. If he is goes down, so does DEN with a whistling sound as it goes passed you. Like it or not, he's very similar to Bird. Doncic? Yeah, we know Kryrie would fold up like a cheap suit if Doncic went down for an extended period and immediately get back on the Save The Whales Tour.

I'm not saying we don't need JT. But if he takes off a night like he did last night, go right ahead. Take the week off. Take the month off. The train keeps moving. We need him because he's an integral part of the TEAM, but not the main/only part of the team as those 3 listed above are that are better MVP candidates. The beauty of this team is that we don't need any one player as we prove beyond a shadow of a doubt every night. The media keeps driving Tatum to MVP. But it's a round peg in a square hole for this Boston team or any Boston team of the past. Neither Jason, nor anyone in Boston, thinks like that. We have 17 banners to prove it.

Now thanks to the efforts this team has done up to this point plus an easy schedule from here to the playoffs, we have the luxury of ramping up the bench. We know the gator arms are coming as things tighten up in the playoffs and the reversion back to 3-ball chucking will make its much unwanted appearance a time or two after we thought we had buried it. MIA is looming around the 7th-8th seed. Anyone want to bet me who we will open against? Our kryptonite. Both us and/or MIL have a present waiting for MIA if the opportunity presents itself. I hope MIL draws MIA but we can't count on MIL to take care of that task at hand. But I digress.

Coach Joe is simply tinkering and fine tuning this well oiled machine. We'll be ready for and will crush whoever we play in the first round. Two things that I see are currently chinks in the proverbial armor.

1. As good as everything KP does, he's off a little bit the last couple of games and front-rimming a lot of his shots. It can't be from tiredness. He's taken more time off than RWIII used to. He's also our weakest starting playoff link. 10 games with the really shitty Wizards. Is he going to really tighten up when it counts? Can he be the zone buster we're going to need against a MIA? That question will only be answered by what we are about to see in a month. We've got backup and we have a great record without him on the court, but this is why he was brought here. To bust up the MIA zone, other things equal. Just like Jrue was brought here to lock up Dame, other things equal.

2. JB and his GD free throws. WTH?!! This is almost a moot point here in that he goes out and gives us 33 last night. You can't criticize the guy. He's leaving it all out on the court. Do you just ignore it? Sweep it under the rug for fear of messing up the rest of his beautiful game by mentioning it to him? That's coach psychology. I'm not in that realm. But things get short and tight in the playoffs as we all know. And Hack-A-Jaylen is just around the corner. You don't think Smug Pug-Face Coach Spo is making a huge note of that?! He's already going to dare KP to beat us from deep and play zone the whole game(s) if we meet. If KP shoots in the playoffs like he's doing the last two games...

70% FT's for the team ain't going to get it done in the playoffs although most of those misses were accumulated by the bench in trash time. Thank God for Derrick White! He went 8-9. And KP 3-4.

OK. At this time, those are the only two things left that concern me going into this stretch run to the end of the season. All our guys have flaws. But the mastermind Joe Mazulla is conducting a master class in how to put together a classical symphony of spectacular proportions. Please enjoy it all!

db

Just remember one thing, we would not be where we are without Jayson Tatum, i am sorry I do not agree with you there. This kid keeps taking it on the chin…while others slide thru. Wrong, wrong wrong

Rosalie,

I'm not saying he doesn't deserve it. Of course he's in the running. But by the NBA's definition, he's not one. Not to the degree he is needed on a night in/night out basis. We complain when he has a bad shooting or high turnover nights which there have been a few, but it typically does not hurt us or lead to a loss, at least not this season. He has tons of help and support. The NBA's definition of MVP is perfect for an Embiid, Jokic or Doncic. Without those three or if an opposing team can shut down one of them for 4 games, or if out for an injury, they are toast. We're seeing this meltdown in real time with PHI. JT is extremely valuable to us, because he fits and can take over games if he needs/has to. He's also interchangeable. He doesn't have to score or assist or rebound all the time. Embiid, Jokic have to score, assist and rebound every game because the support staff is not there. Maybe in DEN but longer term, DEN is bs sans Jokic.

JT will always be our MVP. But that's as far as it will go this year in the NBA's eyes. When we hoist the O'Brien Trophy, he will gladly accept that MVP and all the monkeys will be off his back. As a matter of fact, he's probably going to be the first to do the MVP shuffle backwards, IMHBAO.

db

Jaylen was just tremendous again, except for his FT shooting. As we have mentioned time and again he would be a top 5 player if he shot his FTs better. He just toyed with the Pistons did anything he wanted. I'm sure the coaching staff has to be working with him on his FT shooting. Sam Cassell was an excellent FT shooter in his day. I am no expert, but it looks like he rushes the first FT a little and then short arms it. Maybe settling into a routine where he takes 3 or 4 deep breaths or a set amount of dribbles. Something to settle him a little. I'm just afraid he's going to brick a crucial FT or two in the playoffs. It's a shame because I've never seen him play a better all around floor game.

PP is also just playing lights out. I always loved his game, but now he seems to be putting it all together. We definitely need him because I am a little concerned about Holiday. A dead arm doesn't sound good, but CJ said he's getting better. Any of our in house doctors have any insight?

Tournament time is my time away from weekend Celtic games, so I may eventually watch the recording of this win over the lowly Pistons.

Looking at the box score I’m curious why in 20 minutes, Tillman only managed to get 3 shots. White continues to be the Celtic story of the year IMO. 8 rebounds, 11 assists and 19 points. Only 1 of 7 from 3 point land, but he sure compensated for it elsewhere.

Chiming in on the Tatum MVP debate; no way this year. I would say Tatum is among the top 10 players in the league over all. This season, however, there are at least 4 players who are more valuable to their individual teams and in the scope of league-wide play. That’s no slight on Tatum. Jokic probably takes it again; we may be watching a future member of the NBA top 50 all-time there.

cowens/oldschool,

My bad. I forgot about Giannis. Might have blocked him in my mind because MIL seems to win when he's out with Dame reverting back to POR days and carrying the team in his absence. You can do a one-man show still as Dame proves this week, but it eventually comes up just a little short. That's why I wanted to see Jrue v. Dame this week so badly. Lock up one, neutralize/negate the other.

Probably right about Doncic. He needs to get out of DAL before Kryrie goes back to normal. Another easy pick. DAL out in the first round. They'll make a series. But no-D against one of those top 3 seeds? Candy from a baby.

Yeah, that's a great discussion to have on JB vs. JT. What a great discussion to be able to have, I say! That bench is starting to become very impressive. I'm pretty sure Pritch is 100% on his first two shots (mostly 3's) coming into the game in the 1st quarter. That's Eddie right there! While I love his 3-point acumen, I jump higher for joy when he gets those rebounds right under the net or scores those layups with all the trees around him! If only white boy could jump!! Second, of course, is his Curry-like, herkie-jerky, pinball-esque behavior bouncing around on both sides of the ball on offense and defense. It really pisses off the defense and our offense knows they are either about to get a huge, easy assist or they will get doubled and guess who in the meantime has meandered around and is wide open behind the 3-line for target practice?!

db

Damnit, I  got to find something about this team that I do not like.  

Otherwise I might get expelled from the Society of Grumpy Old Celtics Fans.  So what is it today?  Let's discuss those GD potatoes.  I do not like sour cream on mine.  It's completely unacceptable and you cooked it in the cold zone.  I prefer the hot zone of the oven.

Last night the Celtics recorded their 8th straight win as they continue their march towards the playoffs.  They need just one more win to tie last season's 57 win total and one more game to officially wrap up the Eastern Conference best record.  One must not overlook the value of beating up on the weak.  There has certainly been an attitude adjustment in play this season.  May I remind everyone again that we are playing in the 'NO Bum Zone'  Last season we managed to produce a 24-10 record while wallowing around in the Bum Zone.  This season we have posted a remarkable 27-1 record.

Our 27 point win ties us with 3 other teams who have beaten 15 teams by at least 25 points in a single season.  Only the best of the best can manage to do that.

I guess I should acknowledge some very promising developments.

PP has figure out how to score at the rim.  He must be taking notes from JB.  PP is no longer trying to avoid contact at the rim. To the contrary, he has figured out how to beat the bully.  Simply stated, you hit him first and then score the ball.  

All season long our assumptions were that we are the best top 6 team in the NBA.  At this Juncture I think we can definitely expand that to a formidable top 7.  PP is clearly in the mix.  He is our #1 pace setter.  His handle is probably the best on this team.  He does not turn the ball over.  He can make buckets from anywhere on the perimeter.  He can run the offense and score at the rim.  He gets into guys on defense.  He somehow manages to rebound the basketball even though he is often the smallest player on the court.

Don't get too happy!  This grumpy old man got something to grump about.

WTF is a dead arm.. Paging Dr. Worchester...

CELTS ARE ONE OF THE TOP 4 POINT DIFFERENTIAL TEAMS IN THE NBA HISTORY.

Let that sink in for a moment. The teams ahead of us were STACKED with all time greats.

Look at those '72 Lakers. https://www.nba.com/lakers/history/1971-72-lakers
Wilt, the Logo, Gail Goodrich, and Jim McMillian who played at Columbia alongside my Williston Academy all-New England classmate Roger Walaczek

The '71 Bucks had Big O and some guy who started that season named Lew. Not too shabby a pairing.

Then the 1996 Bulls came along LOADED for bear with Jordan, Pippen, Kerr, Harper, Kukoc, Longley, Rodman, Salley, and Wennington. Hard to assemble a more formidable lineup than that.

Our guys are in that astronomical company, and no one is saying any of our players are SUPER superstars like on the aforementioned teams. Pretty heady stuff. Our guys deserve a lot of credit.