Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Pistons: Heavy Lifting Done in Middle Two Frames in Boston's Victory in the Motor City
Jayson Tatum entered the locker room at halftime of the Celtics' 111-99 win Monday night in the Motor City with 12 points on 3/13 shooting. He had missed all four of his attempts from beyond the arc.
When he came out of the break, Tatum erupted for 18 points, knocking down seven of his eight shots, helping Boston build a lead that matched his third-quarter output entering the final frame.
Tatum finished with a game-high 34 points, pairing it with 11 rebounds and six assists.
The visitors, playing shorthanded, also got a terrific performance from Derrick White, who registered 23 points, seven assists, seven rebounds, and had only one turnover.
White routinely made plays off the cut and helped Boston hold the hosts under 29 points in all four periods, yielding only 19 in the third.
Robert Williams, who played an instrumental role in the Celtics closing out the game, contributed 15 points, as many rebounds, two steals, and a block in Boston's victory.
The Celtics also got a needed boost from Sam Hauser, who produced 15 points, burying 5/9 threes, grabbing six rebounds and swatting two shots in his first career start.
And while Boston's bench got outscored 42-21, Malcolm Brogdon's not to blame. The Celtics' sixth man provided 16 points, four assists, and two blocks in Monday's win.
Now, a deep dive into what stood out in each quarter of a victory where Boston got rewarded for its strategy to defend the perimeter, resulting in stops that helped the visitors assist on 25/39 field goals and drill 16/37 (43.2 percent) of their shots from beyond the arc.
Sam Hauser Gives Boston a Needed Boost in Low-Scoring First Frame
Making his first career start, Sam Hauser led the Celtics in scoring in the first frame, registering six points. He buried both threes he hoisted, including when Jayson Tatum found him for one on the right wing from 27 feet.
Boston's next time down the floor, Tatum engaged the help defender, Alec Burks, cueing Derrick White to break to the basket, finishing a two-handed jam through contact from Jalen Duren.
White also tacked on the free throw, converting this into an old-school three-point play that capped an 11-0 run and gave the visitors a 16-6 advantage midway through the period.
But the Pistons swiftly responded with a 9-0 counterpunch, including a three-point play by Duren, and Saddiq Bey grabbing a defensive rebound, bringing the ball up the floor, then knocking down a step-back jumper from inside the paint.
At the 3:03 mark, Blake Griffin checked in for the shorthanded Celtics. While his first shift against his former team was relatively quiet, he did corral an offensive rebound, then found Malcolm Brogdon for a three that put Boston ahead 24-20 with 1:31 left in the quarter.
Brogdon later got hit in the face, sending him to the bench and requiring attention from the training staff, but he returned to start the second frame.
The period ended with Tatum and Bojan Bogdanovic exchanging a pair of free throws and the visitors holding a 26-25 edge after the first 12 minutes.
Tatum played the entire quarter, something it's fair to question on a Monday night in Detroit in February, even with Jaylen Brown out (non-Covid illness).
The Celtics star struggled from the field, going 1/7, finishing the first frame with four points, two assists, and two rebounds.
While one anticipates Tatum putting plenty of points on the board as the night progresses, Boston needs to tighten up defensively after the Pistons produced 14 points in the paint.
Second Quarter Parallels the First
While a lineup featuring more members of the second unit than starters saw the Celtics' ten-point lead nearly evaporate in the first quarter, when that flipped in the second frame, it translated to building a ten-point advantage again.
A group featuring Tatum, Robert Williams, Al Horford, White, and Hauser clamped down defensively, paving the way for a 9-2 run.
And when Burks, who went 1/5 from beyond the arc on Monday, misfired from long range, leading to a Tatum layup, Boston pulled ahead 46-38 with 6:18 remaining in the first half.
But much like the first frame, the Pistons countered, this time staging an 11-2 run.
That included Jaden Ivey taking advantage of a poor closeout by Hauser, bursting to the rim for a vicious dunk that helped Detroit pull within five, 48-43, with 4:15 left.
It also helped that the Pistons received Ben Wallace-like work by Duren on the boards, generating extra opportunities for the hosts. Duren finished the first half with 11 rebounds, with four coming from his effort on the offensive glass. He also chipped in seven points in the first 24 minutes.
Speaking of battling on the boards, Robert Williams and Tatum combined on one play for three offensive rebounds before the former cleaned up one of his misses, giving Boston a 55-51 lead with under two minutes to play in the first half.
That effort started a 7-0 burst that helped the Celtics take a 60-53 advantage into the locker room.
While Bogdanovic led the Pistons with 12 points, White and Hauser each had 15 to pace Boston.
The former of those two Celtics consistently made plays for himself and set up his teammates by staying active off the ball, regularly making plays off cuts. He also generated eight points in the paint in the first half, more than all other participants.
And not only did White tie for the most points through 24 minutes, the same goes for his four assists, matching Ivey for the highest output in that category.
Celtics Dominant at Both Ends of the Court in the Third Frame
The Celtics started the second half on an 11-0 run.
It began with White coming off a Hauser screen, getting into the paint, getting Bogdanovic to help off Robert Williams, prompting White to dish to the Timelord for an uncontested layup.
White then produced an and-one, attacking Burks off the dribble, spinning toward the middle of the floor, then utilizing an up-and-under for a bucket and a foul, putting Boston ahead 65-55 when he tacked on the free throw.
Tatum then drilled his first three of the night and buried another the next time down the floor, giving him 18 points and the Celtics a 71-55 advantage, the visitors' largest lead of the game to that point.
With their star leading the way offensively, Boston continued its relentless offensive attack, converting on ten of its first 13 shots.
After capitalizing on his first two threes of the quarter, Tatum diversified his scoring profile, feasting when Detroit didn't show him two defenders, giving him a path to the rim, muscling his way for points at the cylinder, and staying hot from beyond the arc.
The Celtics also did well to double off unreliable shooters, resulting in repeated misses for Isaiah Stewart and Killian Hayes not finding his rhythm from long range.
The Pistons staged a 7-0 run that kept the game from getting out of hand, but got outscored 30-18 in the third period and trailed by 18 entering the final frame.
After erupting for 18 points in a quarter that no one else scored in double figures, doing so on 7/8 shooting, including 3/4 from beyond the arc, Tatum led all scorers with 30 points.
Pistons Make it Interesting While Tatum Sits, But Celtics Deny Detroit's Comeback Bid in Fourth Quarter
Detroit outpaced its guests 10-3 to start the final frame, taking advantage of Tatum being on the bench after playing the entire third quarter.
That included a 6-0 run, feasting off an ice-cold offense, converting stops and a rare turnover by White into points at the other end.
They cut the deficit to single digits, then reduced it to 93-86 when Hamidou Diallo came from behind to swat a Grant Williams layup attempt, then finished through contact at the other end.
Diallo couldn't parlay it into a three-point play, but momentum was firmly on the Pistons' side, with the hosts on an 11-0 run.
With Boston feeling the pressure, Robert Williams swooped in to grab a Tatum airball, banking in a put-back, extending the Celtics' lead to 100-91 with 5:41 to go.
Any hopes Detroit had of completing a comeback diminished significantly when Jaden Ivey came up empty on a two-shot trip to the free-throw line, followed by Tatum taking Killian Hayes off the dribble, capitalizing on another instance where there wasn't a help defender in a position to dissuade him from getting to the rim.
Tatum's layup gave the visitors a 109-96 advantage with 1:22 remaining, helping them close out their 111-99 win in the Motor City.
Up Next
The Celtics return home to host the Sixers on Wednesday. The game tips off at 7:30 pm EST. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the game coming out before, during, and afterward. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.
Further Reading
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A Potential Buyout Target and the Celtics are Reportedly Showing Mutual Interest
