BOSTON — It's not the 1980s anymore, but the Detroit Pistons are still embracing their “Bad Boys” moniker. Yet, Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown refused to utter that infamous nickname after the Green Team fell 112-105 to the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons on Monday night.

Instead, he used much kinder language when discussing his third-quarter scuffle with Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart that resulted in two technicals and a lot of squabbling.

“We were just having fun,” Brown said insincerely. “I think Stewart is a nice guy.”

That “nice guy” has a history with Brown.

The Celtics star taunted Stewart last season after dunking on him and was later fined $25,000.

Perhaps he wanted to avoid a similar fine when asked about his testy encounter with Stewart on Monday. Or, Brown didn't want to give the physical big, who goes by “Beef Stew,” the satisfaction of knowing he got under his skin.

“You see around the league now, there are a lot of fake tough guys that act like they want to do something, but really don't,” Pistons head coach JB Bickerstaff said pregame. “Our guys are genuine. They don't — well, sometimes they start sh*t, but they don't back down when it gets going, and it's the heart of our team.”

Boston wasn't backing down either, as multiple Celtics tried to approach the Pistons' bench after Stewart tangled with Brown.

Detroit tried to use its physicality to throw Brown off his game, but the four-time All-Star still finished with a game-high 34 points while shooting 52% from the field.

“I'm all for it,” Brown replied when asked about the Pistons' roughness.

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Stewart also shined with seven points, five offensive rebounds (just two shy of matching Boston's total), and one block in 22 minutes off the bench. Stewart helped the Pistons outscore the C's 47-14 on bench points and 16-8 on second-chance points.

Losing these margins hurt Boston, yet it nearly came away with a statement win in spite of its various shortcomings.

With 1:32 remaining in the fourth quarter, Celtics guard Derrick White cut the Pistons' lead to just three points with a pull-up triple. However, Pistons star Cade Cunningham immediately responded with a tough turnaround jumper over White to put the contest out of reach again.

Despite the loss, the Celtics were adamant that they handled the gritty clash well and weren't daunted by the forcefulness of the Pistons.

“I thought we answered the call,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla stated. “I think they're one of the bigger, more physical teams in the league…I liked our mental toughness. I liked our physical toughness throughout the game.”

The C's are now 1-2 against the Pistons this season and 7-3 in their last 10 games. And although the 15-11 Celtics have exceeded offseason expectations thus far, Brown still thinks he can do more to further elevate his squad.

“I got to be better down the stretch,” he admitted. “Definitely a game that got away from us, that got away from me. So we'll watch the film and be ready for the next one.”

Up next are the 14-12 Miami Heat, who've also had their fair share of feisty games with the Celtics in recent years. Brown and company will look to answer the call again while executing better in order to snap a two-game skid.