Shorthanded Celtics Pound Detroit 119-94 to Move to 54-14
The Boston Celtics made easy work of the Detroit Pistons Monday night, winning by a final score of 119-94 inside TD Garden.
This was a case of two teams on opposite ends of the standings with very different goals, as Boston flexed their muscles all night.
After a competitive opening quarter, the Celtic defense held Detroit to just 18 points in the second frame, allowing them to take firm control of the game. Four different Celtics cracked the 20-point barrier tonight, as Boston's balanced attack was on full display.
Jaylen Brown led all scorers in the game with 31 points on 11/20 shooting. JB continues to light the NBA on fire since the all-star break, proving to the rest of the league why he deserves another All-NBA selection this season.
Derrick White recorded his first career triple-double in this game, finishing his night with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Kristaps Porzingis didn't miss a beat in his return to action after missing the previous five games. KP concluded his evening with 20 points and 8 rebounds in 21 minutes.
Tonight's win takes the Celtics to an incredible 40 games above .500 for the season. Boston's 54-14 record is on pace to be their best mark since the 2007-08 championship season, when they finished 66-16.Jaylen Brown’s last 12 games:
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 19, 2024
31 PTS, 7 REB, 3 AST
37 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST
27 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST
27 PTS, 3 REB, 3 AST
41 PTS, 14 REB, 4 AST
21 PTS, 3 REB, 4 AST
29 PTS, 3 REB, 3 AST
25 PTS, 7 REB, 5 AST
31 PTS, 6 REB, 1 AST
30 PTS, 8 REB, 3 AST
21 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST
36 PTS, 8 REB, 3… pic.twitter.com/HVEHnMSOd8
With 14 games remaining and a 10-game lead in the East, I expect to see the Celtics start to put it in cruise control a little more down the stretch, making sure they get healthy heading into the postseason.
The Celtics next game will be Wednesday night against Milwaukee. Go Celtics!
The Boston Celtics have won six consecutive games.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) March 19, 2024
This is Boston's sixth different win streak this year of five or more games.