It wasn’t pretty, but the Boston Celtics were able to outlast the Detroit Pistons with a 104-98 win at The Palace of Auburn Hills on Sunday night.
Isaiah Thomas scored 33 points, but it was rookie Jaylen Brown who rescued the Celtics.
Trailing by one with under a minute to play, Brown knocked down a corner 3-pointer while being fouled to give the C’s a lead they would not relinquish.
Brown had 13 points and five rebounds, while Jae Crowder (14 points), Marcus Smart (14 points) and Terry Rozier (13 points) also scored in double figures, along with Thomas.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope led the Pistons with 18 points.
The Celtics improve to 38-21 with the win, while the Pistons fall to 28-31.
Here’s how it all went down.
STARTING FIVE
Isaiah Thomas, Jaylen Brown, Jae Crowder, Amir Johnson, Al Horford.
NO BRADLEY
The Celtics were without shooting guard Avery Bradley for the 18th straight game due to an Achilles strain, but head coach Brad Stevens expects him back soon, according to The Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn.
QUARTER OF RUNS
The Celtics led by four after the first quarter, but the Pistons opened the second quarter on an 11-2 run to take a three-point lead. The C’s, however, answered that with an 18-3Â run of their own. Boston scored at will in the paint during its run, getting layups on four straight possessions at one point.
The Pistons, however, refused to say die as they finished the half on a 15-7 run to trim Boston’s lead to four at the break. Thomas led all scorers with 16 points in the half, while Reggie Jackson paced the Pistons with 15.
SLOPPY THIRD
The C’s started the third quarter on a 13-2 run to stretch their lead to 15 but were unable to bury the Pistons due to sloppy play on both ends. Boston turned the ball over 10 times in the period and allowed Detroit to get multiple second-chance opportunities. The Celtics only were able to keep the Pistons at bay thanks to the play of Rozier off the bench.
THE ROOKIE HERO
The game was tied with four minutes remaining as both teams struggled from the floor during the final quarter. A Smart put-back gave the Celtics a brief lead, but Caldwell-Pope drained a trey to give Detroit a two-point lead with under two minutes to play.
The Celtics trailed by one with 37 seconds to play, when Brown knocked down a corner 3-pointer while being fouled by Marcus Morris to give Boston a two-point lead. Free throws by Smart, Thomas and Crowder put the game on ice for the C’s.
PLAY OF THE GAME
The rookie….onions!
UP NEXT
The Celtics return home Monday to face the Atlanta Hawks at TD Garden. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.
Thumbnail photo via Tim Fuller/USA TODAY Sports Images
