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The Detroit Pistons continued their red-hot pace with another blowout win at Little Caesars Arena. Their Wednesday night matchup with the defending champion Boston Celtics finished with the Pistons victorious for the eighth straight game, winning 117-97. That snapped a 12-game losing skid against the Celtics and is now Detroit's longest winning streak since 2008-09, per NBA.com.
After jumping out with a strong start in the first, the Pistons had to recover from Boston's outburst of 11 triples, which tied the halftime score at 55. The second half turned the tide back in Detroit's favor after outscoring Boston 62-42 in the final two quarters.
Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff spoke on how proud he was for his team rising to the occasion against a championship contender during his postgame media session.
“It's interesting to have a younger group that has the feel of what's in front of them. I also think we've lost to this team a few times already, and I think they had something to prove,” Bickerstaff stated. “I think the winning streak matters to them. They didn't want to lose that tonight. I think that was on their mind, whether it was a spotlight on the outside or not. I think their thing is we've got to take care of business because it matters to us.”
Detroit currently sits in the sixth seed of the Eastern Conference with a 33-26 record. A small margin of a half-game separates them and the fifth-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in the standings.
Pistons out-hustle Boston in team effort
The momentum of the young Pistons continues to surge with collective balance on both ends of the floor. Detroit's defensive intensity helped limit Boston's scoring and it translated offensively. Transition scoring heavily favored the Pistons as they put together 29 points in the fast break and 62 points in the paint. Bickerstaff has emphasized how playing at a faster pace favors his team and they used that to their advantage.
Boston was held to 33-of-80 shooting from the field compared to Detroit's efficient rate of 47-of-89. The Pistons managed to restrict the Celtics' ability of second-chance points by outrebounding them on the glass 51 to Boston's 32.
Sixth-man Malik Beasley kept his shooting rhythm intact. He led the Pistons in scoring with 26 points off the bench. His efficiency flourished by knocking down 10-of-15 shots from the field and 6-of-11 threes. Bickerstaff had plenty of positive remarks when recapping his game with the media.
“He just has that type of personality that’s engaging, that you want to root for. His shot-making ability just lifts people up. When he’s hot and that ball’s in the air, you can tell when it leaves his hands [that it’s going in], and it’s taking the crowd’s breath away,” Bickerstaff said. “I’m happy for Malik because he’s a genuine character and he loves this. I’m happy that he gets to be himself and have the success that he’s having.”
All-Star point guard Cade Cunningham recorded his 26th double-double of the season with 21 points and eleven assists for the Pistons. Forward Tobias Harris kept his impactful February going with 16 points and nine rebounds. Center Jalen Duren picked up his 27th double-double of the season with 13 points and eleven rebounds, including four on the offensive glass.
Second-year win Ausar Thompson impressed again defensively by matching up against All-Star Jayson Tatum. He recorded five steals and took on the challenge of rotating to defend other Celtics when needed. Thompson's defensive production was a major catalyst to the fast break creation for Detroit.
