How the Detroit Pistons earned a statement win over the Boston Celtics on MLK Day

The Detroit Pistons earned a staple win on their home court with a 104-103 win over the Boston Celtics on Monday. Cade Cunningham, now an All-Star starter after garnering more than 2.6 million fan votes, gained some ground in a slow shooting night with 14 assists and two blocks.

Jalen Duren, who holds more than 250,000 votes of his own, worked as an interior engine for the Pistons as he ended the night with 18 points and nine rebounds.

It seemed nothing could slow down the Celtics as they got off to a red-hot start following a Jaylen Brown miss. The four-time All-Star would lead the charge with an assist and a pair of makes in the game's opening minutes, which put the Pistons in a tough spot as they couldn't match Boston's starting surge.

While Tobias Harris held things up early for the Pistons on offense, Ausar Thompson had his moments with three steals in his first five minutes of play. Harris would finish the game with a team-leading 25 points on 11 makes.

Jan 19, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris (12) dribbles the ball against Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) in the first half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

It would be a return to the Pistons playing their own game with close-range strikes, along with a cold spell for Boston, that would ultimately save the game from spiraling out of control for Detroit. The Pistons earned all but one of their first-quarter makes in the paint, including a statement alley-oop from Duren off a feed from Cunningham. They would end the matchup with 48 points in the paint, a strength of their offense as they rank second in the NBA in paint points per game.

While Detroit would end up taking a comfortable 8-point lead by the half, the Celtics would climb back into contention in the third quarter with three opening 3-point makes.

The Pistons held off Boston's next wave of offense with a few buckets of their own, which kept the Celtics in the rearview just long enough to hold off a potential comeback win. Boston would finish the third quarter with 11 made shots on 18 tries, far ahead of its first-half performance, but it wouldn't be enough to take the crown from the East's highest-ranked squad.

Detroit moved up to 14-4 against teams with a record of .500 or above, while Boston fell to 13-12. The Pistons have stood toe-to-toe with some of the NBA's biggest heavyweights in the Eastern Conference, but have yet to face some of the West's strongest challengers in Oklahoma City Thunder or the San Antonio Spurs.

A division rival in the Cleveland Cavaliers fell in a 136-104 loss to the powerhouse Thunder just a few hours before the Pistons took to Little Caesars Arena on Monday. The Cavs were held to about 37% from the floor and 23% from 3-point range in the loss, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren scored a combined 58 points.

Detroit will still gain its fair share of Western matchups before facing the Thunder for the first time this season in late February. It will take on the New Orleans Pelicans, who sit a few games behind the Sacramento Kings for last place in the conference, during its first road game in just over two weeks. A five-game win streak in December and two wins this month have saved the Pelicans from plummeting even further, but they have fallen in four of their last five games and eight of their last 10.

The Pistons will move on to face the Pelicans at 8:00 p.m. EST on Jan. 21 in the Smoothie King Center. The game will be broadcast on FanDuel Sports Network - Detroit.