The Boston Celtics' NBA Cup finale against the Detroit Pistons was a thriller. The two teams played a physical, back-and-forth game with Boston walking away with a 117-114 win.
Here's what stood out:
Amari Williams played his first real minutes of the season
It’s as the H2 reads. Celtics rookie Amari Williams saw his first real NBA minutes on Wednesday against the Pistons. Williams checked in midway through the first quarter in place of Luka Garza and made enough of an impact to earn the bulk of the playing time at the center spot.
Once Garza went to the bench, he sat the remainder of the first half, with Williams matching Pistons center Jalen Duren’s minutes. This may have simply been a matchup decision from Joe Mazzulla. Williams is the most athletic of Boston’s active big men, so it makes sense to run him against an athlete like Duren.
The Celtics leaned further into small ball in the second half, leaving little time for Williams. But overall, it was a solid outing for the rook.
In terms of his impact, Williams was most impressive defending the paint. Though he only finished with one block, he was able to get some great vertical contests on some of the Pistons' shots around the rim.
Ausar Thompson is a defensive FREAK
Pistons forward Ausar Thompson and his twin brother Amen, who plays for the Houston Rockets, are two of the best athletes in the NBA. They’re not just athletic for no reason, either. They make the most of their gifts, particularly on the defensive end of the floor.
Watching Thompson pick up Payton Pritchard for 94 feet was pretty incredible. Pritchard’s offensive bag isn’t exactly shallow, yet he had absolutely nothing for the former lottery pick. As soon as Thompson went to the bench and it was Caris LeVert who was checking Pritchard, the Celtics guard played with a sense of relief.
Coming out of halftime, Thompson hounded Pritchard in the backcourt and wound up forcing an eight-second violation.
Derrick White brings this team to another level when he’s making shots
This sounds like a given, but when Derrick White is able to make shots, the Celtics just look like a different team. White’s struggled quite a bit to start the season, especially knocking down threes. Through 17 games heading into Wednesday’s game, White was averaging just 12.5 points per game on 35% from the field and 30% from beyond the arc.
Through the first 24 minutes of this one, it was the same story. Once halftime came and went, however, White looked like an entirely different player. He poured in 14 third-quarter points on an efficient 4-8 from the field and 3-5 from long range.
Something clicked for him once the shots started falling. He was playing with more confidence. More swagger. White’s defended with his best effort regardless if he’s making shots or not, but when he’s able to defend with confidence, it’s special to watch. The Colorado native finished the afternoon with four steals and a block.
Plus, it was a huge bonus that he was able to lead a unit while Jaylen Brown caught his breath on the bench late in the third quarter.
White's impact was felt in the fourth, too. He made some massive shots down the stretch, many of which weren't looks he'd even take without whatever confidence boost he found in the third.
Baylor Scheierman’s offensive game has real potential
Baylor Scheierman’s playing time has been inconsistent this season. He’s earned a solid role over the past two weeks, after logging three straight DNP-CDs in a row.
He shined in his minutes against the Pistons, specifically in the first half, when he poured in 13 points off the bench. Scheierman’s offensive boost kept the Celtics in the game at a time when they were struggling to put the ball in the basket.
His hot three-point shooting, combined with smart decision-making off the bounce, enabled him to be a spart for the Cs.