Celtics Depth Can’t Overcome Pistons Breakthrough with Jaylen Brown Out

The obvious caveats countered reason for concern following the Pistons’ first win over the Celtics in 12 games. Boston played on a back-to-back without Jaylen Brown, Luke Kornet and Sam Hauser appeared limited after landing on the injury report questionable with a back injury. Jayson Tatum played 40 minutes in Toronto the previous night, where an illness sidelined Kristaps Porziņģis and left him questionable on Wednesday.

Detroit, entering as winners of seven straight, received an ideal opportunity to knock off Boston and took it. Ausar Thompson absorbed Tatum’s early isolations and recorded four steals in the first quarter. Porziņģis struggled against the Pistons’ front line and three Tatum turnovers in the final minutes of the first quarter powered an 11-0 Detroit run that left the Celtics down by nine points into the non-Tatum minutes. Boston later fell 117-97 in a loss decided early in the fourth quarter.

That Payton Pritchard and the bench couldn’t pick up the starters on the latter’s slow night recalled Brown’s words that likely played out infamously in Detroit. At media day, Brown explained how Boston could play through Pritchard, Hauser and others in the second unit and still win. That proved true at the lowly Raptors. The Pistons, led by legitimate All-NBA contender Cade Cunningham, Malik Beasley, who’s one three-pointer shy of the league lead and bruising big men Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart wouldn’t let up into their bench.

Marcus Sasser and Stewart finished +19. Detroit won Beasley’s minutes by 12 as he shot 10-for-15 to score 26 points. Even rookie Ron Holland II carved out winning stretches. The worst team in the NBA last year, who went on a historic losing streak they couldn’t end at Boston due to a 21-point collapse, added Beasley and other veteran shooters to stabilize the offense around Cunningham. A difficult coaching change following Monty Williams’ first season of a record long-term contract led to defensive mind JB Bickerstaff taking over.

Bickerstaff’s game plan crowded Tatum with tight rotations behind the ball to cut off the Celtics’ early drive-and-kick game. They found it with Pritchard’s probing late in the second and Boston erupted to an 11-of-16 quarter to tie the game, 55-55, at halftime. Defensive lapses alongside missed shots early in the third allowed another eight-point advantage to the Pistons. Then, as the lineups changed, Detroit attacked Neemias Queta three times with the Cunningham-Duren attack. A pair of Beasley threes maintained a double-digit Detroit edge into the fourth.

Joe Mazzulla previewed a shift in strategy from the previous night’s small ball look on the radio before the game. Al Horford started in place of Brown, leaving the Celtics slow and clunky rather than solid inside and more physical. The Pistons doubled-up Boston on the offensive glass, 14-7, and posted a 62-20 points in the paint advantage. The Celtics constantly lapsed in coverage against Detroit’s rolls and cuts while losing 29-8 on the break. It was an ugly loss, and one that left Porziņģis taking responsibility talking to reporters after.

“We have to hunt again if we want to win another championship,” he said. “But the season’s long. We’re working toward something, we want to peak at the right moment, we don’t want to overreact to a loss, but every loss we can learn something and take something from … we were uphill, fighting … we had very small moments in this game … where we could catch onto something … this hurts inside. Especially for myself, having a bad game.”

• Jordan Walsh received the depth wing minutes and shot o-for-3 after a similarly slow offensive performance at Toronto. Queta went scoreless after adding eight points, despite five fouls, the previous night. The back-to-back didn’t show the back of the Celtics’ bench looking its best. Torrey Craig received a DNP-CD on Wednesday after starting the Raptors win. JD Davison didn’t play until the closing minutes with a garbage time lineup that looked disjointed throughout as the deficit expanded.
• Mazzulla hung on, ready to empty the bench, as the Celtics tried to fight within single-digits trailing by 16 points halfway through the fourth. He let the starters play for two extra possessions before making the sub.
• Hauser is worth watching after a 40-minute effort at Toronto turned into questionable status with his lingering back ailment. He only appeared for 12 minutes on Wednesday, attempting one shot that he made.
• The Pistons climbed into a tie for the east’s fifth seed, only 1.0 game back of the Pacers for home court advantage in the east. They’re 4.5 games above the Magic and the play-in line, putting them in a decent position to secure their first playoff spot since 2019 and avoid the Celtics round one.
• Brown (thigh) was pretty banged up, Mazzulla told reporters, from the Toronto game, where he exited twice in the second half with lower body soreness. Kornet (personal) missed a second straight game.
• Boston missed his burst on both ends badly against the Pistons’ size and speed, the archetype of a team that can bother the Celtics like the Thunder, Hawks and others have at times this season.