Celtics Escape Pistons 111-99

Don’t let the score fool you — this one was much closer than it needed to be for the Celtics.

They defeated the Detroit Pistons 111-99, surviving a torrid 4th quarter run by Detroit that saw a 23-point lead cut to six. Boston moves to 38-16 and 3-0 against the Pistons on the season.

The game was back and forth from the start. Detroit hung in for the first half, but fell victim to a Jayson Tatum 18-point third quarter explosion. Down 23, they mounted a valiant comeback that stalled out following clutch buckets from Tatum, Robert Williams III, and Derrick White.

Offensively, it was a tale of two halves for Boston: one where Jayson Tatum was ice cold, and one where Jayson Tatum was Jayson Tatum. Tatum opened the game 3-13 shooting, and the team’s lead was maintained by Derrick White and Sam Hauser, who ended with 23 and 15 respectively. Tatum stepped up in the second half, finishing the game with 34 and overcoming his lethargic start.

The defense wasn’t great for most of the night, but it tightened up when it mattered the most. Boston nullified Detroit’s comeback by drawing offensive fouls and forcing bad shots, effectively killing their offensive momentum.

For a Pistons team that is mightily struggling, this was an encouraging game against the East’s best. Bojan Bogdanovic led the team in scoring, but Killian Hayes and Jaden Ivey led the team in the 4th, ending the night with 17 and 14 respectively. Detroit got a strong showing out of their young guys, Hayes, Ivey, and Jalen Duren chief among them.

For the C’s, it’s concerning they let their massive lead erode, but they held on and eventually pulled away. They will need to have a more consistent effort on Wednesday though, as they take on the Philadelphia 76ers at home.