The Boston Celtics took care of business in their final game before the All-Star break by dispatching the Detroit Pistons, 127-109, on Wednesday night at TD Garden.
The Celtics improved their NBA-best record to 42-17 while the lowly Pistons dropped to 15-44.
Check out the full box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
Most members of the Celtics probably already had their bags packed and destinations picked out for how they will spend their upcoming break.
It could have served as a distraction with the inferior Pistons in town, but Boston stayed focused on the task at hand, especially superstar Jayson Tatum.
Behind the stellar play of Tatum, the Celtics never trailed against the Pistons and for the most part looked as if they were on cruise control while keeping Detroit at bay. It wasn’t all positive for the Celtics, though. They had to respond after the Pistons scored 38 points in the third quarter to trim a 19-point deficit down to five.
But the Celtics answered in the final frame, shooing away any dark cloud that would have lingered if they suffered a loss to the Pistons.
With a win in their pocket, the Celtics can go ahead and enjoy their break now.
STARS OF THE GAME
— Tatum already looked like he was at the All-Star Game. He poured in 24 of his game-high 38 points in the third quarter and drained six of 10 3-point tries in the win. He also registered nine rebounds and seven assists.
— Malcolm Brogdon continued to make his case to be the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year. Brogdon provided steady play off the bench yet again, scoring 25 points on an efficient 10-for-14 shooting.
— Marcus Smart didn’t look like he needed to shake off rust in his return after missing 11 straight games due to a right ankle sprain. The veteran guard stuffed the stat sheet by recording nine points, seven rebounds, six assists and six steals in 29 minutes.
WAGER WATCH
Derrick White continued his steady play, surpassing the assists over/under DraftKings Sportsbook set at 4.5 with +100 odds. White finished with six helpers, and a $100 wager on the prop bet would have netted a total of $200.
UP NEXT
The Celtics will have over a week off due to the All-Star festivities as they won’t play again until Feb. 23 against the Indiana Pacers. Tipoff from Gainbridge Fieldhouse is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
