When the Celtics went up by 23 points in the second quarter against the Pistons, it had all the makings for another blowout victory. After all, these were the Pistons, the worst team in the league last year, while the Celtics were dominant after a huge 3-point shooting performance in the first half.
But the Pistons stepped up and erased the Celtics’ advantage. C’s coach Joe Mazzulla said Detroit was more physical through the large portions of the game. So the Celtics got an unexpected test in the form of a close game against the Pistons — and they passed it with flying colors. The Pistons played spirited ball, but the Celtics still willed themselves to the 124-118 victory Saturday in Detroit to remain unbeaten at 3-0.
“The fun part was we figured out a way to win,” Jayson Tatum said, via NBC Sports Boston. “We were never rattled. Never worried. We know what we’re supposed to do on offense. How to execute our late-game plays that we like to go to.”
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Of course, the Celtics were bound to be tested at some point this season. And, yes, they‘ll lose a game eventually, too. But remember, in past years, this Celtics core was criticized heavily for their performance in the clutch. Slowly, though, the narratives continue to change. Last year, the Celtics were 21-12 in clutch games, which the NBA defines as a game within five points with less than five minutes to go. So there‘s been some progress, and there’s only so much the reigning champs can be criticized for.
The team effort was there down the stretch after the Pistons took a 112-106 lead. The Celtics finished the game on an 18-6 run; the Pistons mustered up just six points in that final 5:12 of the game.
There‘s a good reason for that: the Celtics were seemingly everywhere defensively. Jrue Holiday was again a difference-maker as the deflections were plentiful. Derrick White also got a highlight block on Cade Cunningham (a little bit of revenge there after Cunningham dunked on White earlier in the game). The offense also generated solid looks, including back-to-back 3-pointers from Holiday that erased the Celtics’ six-point deficit.
The season is only three games old and there‘s only so much that can be taken away at this point. The Celtics‘ identity will shape and form over these next several months — that‘s the whole point of an 82-game season. But at least early on, it‘s always a positive that the Celtics can win some ugly games like Saturday since they’ll need more of that going forward.
“It was just a fun to be a part of,” Tatum said. “Fun to be a part of moments of, it‘s not going well, it’s kind of ugly and we know rattled and we figure it out. And everybody plays a part in that.”
