The 1 reason Celtics beat Pistons is what makes them invincible

The Boston Celtics ran into their first sign of trouble on Saturday. What looked like like a certain blowout quickly turned into Boston’s first test of the new season, as the Detroit Pistons battled all the way back from a 23-point deficit to make it a close game in the final frame.

Detroit went up by as many as six points, putting the Celtics on their heels. After a red-hot start from beyond the three-point line, Boston went ice cold. At the same time, Malik Beasley, Simone Fontecchio, and the Pistons were getting whatever they wanted from deep range. They found a way to bully Boston inside, too.

Despite all that, the Celtics found a way to get a win, and the way they did it is what makes them as close to invincible as an NBA team can be—defense.

The Celtics' fourth-quarter defense won them the game against the Pistons

As the Pistons made their mark in the paint and nailed clutch threes, the Celtics were floundering defensively. They lost shooters on the perimeter, got lazy on the glass, and rested on their laurels.

But once the fourth quarter came around, they locked in.

Mid-way through the fourth, White picked up a monster block on Jaden Ivey. At the time, the Pistons were up by four points and could have extended their lead even further, but White sent them packing.

Not long after, with Detroit up 112-106, Jaylen Brown swooped in and stole an inbounds pass.

Two minutes after that, following a pair of Jrue Holiday triples that tied the game, Brown took charge once again. As Cade Cunningham dribbled on the wing, he poked the ball loose, diving on the floor in an attempt to grab it.

While he didn’t manage to snag the steal, Cunningham had to force up an ugly three that missed the rim, which marked a 24-second violation for Detroit.

Then, with 1:17 left to go and the game tied at 114 apiece, the Pistons had a fast break. Holiday poked the ball away from Ivey, but it landed in Tobias Harris’ hands. But as he went up, Holiday got a hand on the rock again, getting credited with a block.

Tatum nailed two free throws to put the Celtics up by two, and then White made the biggest play of the game.

Cunningham cut to the rim with ferocity, slipping right past Holiday. But as he rose up for a dunk, White helped over from the corner, denying him at the rim for a monster block, sealing the game.

Boston has one of the best offenses in basketball. They showed that in the first two games of the year, as well as in the first half against the Pistons. But when their three-point shooting sputters, they fall back on elite defense.

Even when they were struggling to contain the Pistons, they still managed to lock in, control the pace, and rack up turnover after turnover.

Their shooting is what makes them incredible, but the fact that they can back it up with elite defense and defensive composure in the clutch is what makes them nearly invincible.