Celtics upset Pistons 117-114 in last second thriller
(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
The Celtics ended the Pistons league-best 13-game winning streak in a back-and-forth game that ended in a missed free throw from Cade Cunningham.
With Neemias Queta ruled out, Luka Garza got the start at center but would play just 11 minutes in the game. The first quarter would be a tough one offensively for Boston, scoring just 24 points while shooting just 30% from the field and from three. Most notably, Jaylen Brown went 1/8.
On defense, they kept the Pistons in check but gave up 5 offensive rebounds for 7 second-chance points, which allowed the Pistons to still score 30 points. Despite their shooting struggles, they managed to keep the score close with 6 free throws, something they have struggled to consistently do all season.
In the second quarter, things played out the other way for both teams. The Celtics offense would play much better, scoring 33 points on 46/50 shooting splits. Jaylen Brown settled, scoring 12 points in the quarter.
On the other end, they held the Pistons to 38% shooting from the floor but allowed 8 second-chance points and 9 free throws, which led to 28 points for the quarter. Going into halftime, the Pistons held a 58-57 lead.
The third quarter played out in similar fashion, with the Celtics offense scoring 29 points on efficient shooting. After an 0/3 first half, Derrick White came alive, scoring 14 points on 4/7 shooting. This time, however, the turnovers kept the Pistons in the quarter, committing 6 for 10 points off turnovers for Detroit. They were held to just 33% shooting from the field and from three but still scored 25 points due to turnovers and free throws. Heading into the fourth quarter, the Celtics led 86-83.
When they were needed most, Derrick White and Jaylen Brown came through, scoring 20 of the team's 31 points. In the final minute, both players hit game-saving shots, along with Derrick White forcing a turnover to give the Celtics an extra possession.
The Pistons once again capitalized on the Celtics small ball lineup, grabbing 6 offensive rebounds for 9 second-chance points, along with 9 free throws. Both teams had traded blows all quarter, and it came down to the final minutes of the game.
After taking a 111-110 lead with 9 seconds left, the game became an intentional foul contest, which led to the controversial shooting foul on Cade Cunningham in the final 4 seconds of the game, giving him three free throws down 115-112. He missed the final one, and two plays later Jordan Walsh made the game-saving steal to win 117-114, ending the Pistons 13-game winning streak.
The good
After what was a rough start to the game for both Jaylen Brown and Derrick White, they both came through for the Celtics in the 2nd half, scoring 39 of the team's 60 points while shooting 13/24. White in particular got hot from deep, shooting 6/8 from three, the most in a second half in his career.
The bench unit came to play once again, with Baylor Scheierman being the surprise player of the game, scoring 13 points on 5/7 shooting. Josh Minott had another good game after being moved back to the bench, scoring 9 points and grabbing 5 rebounds in just 19 minutes.
As a team, they shot incredible from three, going 20/43 from deep, a better mark than what they shot from inside the arc. Despite the lower number of attempts from two, they still managed to draw plenty of contact, shooting 24 free throws. Getting to the line consistently has been a struggle all season, but they were able to do it in their biggest win of the season.
Defensively, they struggled in multiple areas, but they did manage to force the Pistons into tough shots, holding the Pistons to just 40% shooting from the floor and 30% from three, along with 9 steals and 7 blocks.
The bad
With no true center on the floor for most of the game, the Celtics defensive rebounding was predictably atrocious, allowing 21 offensive rebounds for 27 second-chance points. The other problem that continues to plague them is once again fouling, committing 27, which led to 36 free throw attempts for the Pistons.
56 of the 114 points scored by the Pistons were from offensive rebounds or free throws, which was once again why the game was so close despite having considerably better shooting numbers.
The Celtics offense inside the arc was surprisingly poor, shooting just 41% on two-pointers. This stems from playing a small lineup for the majority of the game as well as shot selection.
Conclusion
In a game that needed a late-game hero, Derrick White stepped up when it mattered most, with Jaylen Brown not far behind. The offensive talent on the perimeter is clear, but the center position will continue to be a question mark on both sides of the ball going forward.
The Celtics will head to Minnesota on Saturday to take on another playoff-caliber team. In what has been a confusing stretch of games over the last month, they have a chance to answer some of them with a win against a legitimate team.
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