Somehow, each Boston Celtics loss is more of a reality check than the last. Sunday’s defeat in Detroit against the Pistons was devastating. The entire game felt like the Celtics could’ve been winning, but they couldn’t stop getting in their own way.
Rebounding remains a problem
This point is going to get beaten into the ground this season, but it was, once again, true on Sunday. Boston built an early 17-point lead because they were scoring efficiently, while the Pistons couldn’t buy a basket. Once Detroit decided they weren’t going to settle for just one shot and crashed the offensive glass, the game changed.
By halftime, the Pistons managed to rebound just under 50% of their missed shots, creating 17 second-chance points.
Once Boston cut the lead to three late in the game, they gave up consecutive offensive rebounds which allowed the Pistons to push the lead back to seven.
They never recovered.
If Boston is going to recover from this slow start, it’s going to have to starton the glass.
Jaylen Brown was locked in
Jaylen Brown faced an onslaught of ridicule after Friday’s loss to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Said ridicule was partially due to Brown’s allegedly painted-on hair rubbing off on OG Anunoby’s jersey, and partly because of his and the team’s collective struggles.
Brown finished the night with seven turnovers. It was a rough watch.
Sunday was not.
Right from the opening tip, it was obvious that JB wasn’t messing around. He hunted shots early, in a good way, getting to his spots and converting with ease. Brown poured in 10 points in the first quarter, another 13 in the second, then followed it up with a 18-point second half for a total of 41 on the afternoon.
Sadly, he didn’t get enough help from the rest of the Celtics to get the team its first win of the season.
Starter Pritchard has arrived
After making just eight of his first 24 shots this season, Payton Pritchard, the starter, has made an appearance against Detroit. The reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year was aggressive early and poured in 10 of his 21 points in the first quarter. How he got himself going was the most impressive.
He worked from the inside out, penetrating the Pistons' defense and getting shots up around the basket. The three-point line had been unkind to the former Oregon star prior to Sunday’s game. Pritchard missed 14 of his 16 long-range attempts through Boston’s first two games.
Once he saw the ball hit the bottom of the net a few times in Detroit, he looked far more confident out there. Though he still struggled from beyond the arc, Pritchard found ways to make his presence known.
He was huge down the stretch as the Cs tried to complete a fourth-quarter comeback, taking it upon himself to initiate offense.
Plus, he was huge on the glass on a day (and in a season) where the Celtics needed him to be. Pritchard finished the afternoon with 10 of Boston’s 52 rebounds.
Bonus: Net stoppages are brutal
In my decade-plus of religiously watching the NBA, I’ve never seen a net need to be replaced mid-game, nor did I realize how long it would take. When the in-arena crew had to take apart the rim in the middle of the third quarter, it must’ve been a 15-minute stoppage, at least.
Even the unexpected pause in the game couldn’t help the Celtics slow down the Pistons.