The Celtics nearly squandered a 23-point lead to lose their first game of the season before Jrue Holiday hit back-to-back threes to tie the game after Boston fell behind late. Jayson Tatum built a four-point advantage in the closing seconds with a pair of free throws and a tough fallaway jumper on the left baseline after Derrick White blocked Cade Cunningham at the rim with Boston ahead by two points and 51 seconds remaining. They Celtics, instead, escaped undefeated, 124-118.
Here are some takeaways from the win at Detroit…
- This game reminded me of Joe Mazzulla’s adage from last year about the Celtics being able to get out of their worst stretches of play quickly. Boston already gave up an 18-9 run before halftime to allow the Pistons within 11 points at halftime before it extended to 44-22 into the third quarter. There, the Celtics shot 7-of-21, missing eight shots around the rim and losing 31-21 in their worst competitive quarter this season. Not exactly a rapid shake-off, Boston still hardened defensively and secured a 30-25 victory in the final frame. Losing the shot totals, three-point volume and turnover battle in the fourth, the Celtics shot 13-of-13 at the free throw line, finding a different way to win.
- Jaylen Brown shot 0-of-4 in the fourth and 1-of-9 in the second half, forcing attempts and playing out of rhythm before hitting six straight free throws to close the game. His night mirrored the Celtics’, shooting well from three, building a double-digit lead, crashing the offensive glass and moving the ball before lapsing in the second half. Al Horford, Jayson Tatum and Payton Pritchard also had massive first halves, combining to shoot 17-of-36 (47.2%) from the field. Despite the second half slump, Boston still managed to out-shoot (90-88) Detroit, win the three-point battle convincingly (22-14 in makes at a 45.8% efficiency) and most surprisingly grab more offensive rebounds (13-9) in what became a physical game. Also, opponents are shooting 38.2% when guarded by Brown through three games.
- White was down for that, shaking off an 0-for-6 night from three to block three shots, the final one the signature moment of the win and maybe the season, rising up to reject Cunningham at rim level in a 116-114 game. Tatum’s ensuing fallaway was a tough but indicative play. The Celtics’ tough shot making can separate them even in games when they don’t execute the finer details to perfection.
- The bench became a problem for the first time this year, Xavier Tillman Sr. and Luke Kornet posting a -30.7 net rating in their nine minutes, Pritchard posting the worst +/- (-9) in the second half and Neemias Queta logging a DNP-CD with Sam Hauser (back) out again. Whether due to matchups, the lineups Detroit played or where the Celtics stood, losing ground into the second half, and playing a close game the rest of the way, Mazzulla tightened the rotation and leaned more on the starters. Queta’s absence following a strong performance on Thursday in Washington (12 pts, 7 reb.) was curious despite the obvious defensive mistakes from the win. Boston essentially funneled Hauser’s missing minutes to the starters.
- Two other moments worth noting: after starting the third quarter on a 19-12 run to pull within four points, Tobias Harris committed a flagrant foul on Brown that was impossible not to call. The lengthy review, free throw split and extra possession that followed flowed into a 12-9 finish to the frame, a slight bump in the Pistons’ momentum. A bigger blow came in the fourth, courtesy of the new rule that allows for fouls to be called on coaching challenges. Detroit challenged a possession call on a White drive, but video review revealed a foul on Cunningham that maintained the Celtics’ possession, lost the Pistons their challenge and led to Boston free throws on the ensuing possession to begin the fourth. That creates a new layer in deciding whether or not to challenge calls, and an opportunity to pick up free throws in the bonus or inflict a personal foul in key moments. The Celtics tried, unsuccessfully, to do so in the preseason opener in Abu Dhabi on a play called out of bounds on White. On Sunday, the Pistons paid for a bad challenge try.
- Sorry for the earliest of early MVP conversations beginning around here, but Tatum and Anthony Davis sharing the trophy through three games is great for so many reasons. There’s nothing better than Boston and LA being good simultaneously, nobody picked either player to win the award before the year and both have done plenty throughout their careers to deserve consideration at one point. Here’s to both player putting it all together this year. Tatum spoke on chasing MVP earlier this week in Washington DC.