The boss of the East is Detroit!

The shock of this “MLK Day” kept all the promises in between the Pistons etc celts. And in an overheated atmosphere, Detroit held on to its place by winning on Monday, at the end of a fierce battle by a narrow point (104-103).

Boston sets the tone from the start with the first 3-point shot Sam Hauser in keeping with his last outing on 10/21 behind the arc, then a physical layup of Jailen Browndespite the contact. The visitors had the best start and led with 16-8, especially thanks to the intense defensive activity.

But Boston lacks weight under the circle and Jalen Duren he took advantage of this, and scored seven points in a row to bring his team even. Isaiah Stewart stood out 29 seconds after entering the game with the start of a brawl with Jaylen Brown, a sign of the tension between the two conference leaders. That causes tremors in the hands of the shooters, but not in the leader of the Celtics, but with 13 points, so that the Celtics would take the lead in possession after 12 minutes (26-29).

Detroit, word of defense

But the Pistons are in the game and gradually increasing their defense. Hand interception Caris LeVerthuge counter to Stewart on a dunk attempt Nehemiah Kueta…

Isaiah Stewart with a HUGE DENIAL

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The wall of Detroit hurts a lot. Counter of Cade Cunningham converted by a long basket from Javonta Green, then one byAusar Thompson before they dunked in a counterattack, and the home team took the lead (37-33). Boston hangs on, but fumbles on the 3-point line combined with opposing forechecks allow the Pistons to break away. Especially since Duncan Robinson is successful from long range and contributes to a 16-4 run that gives his team the lead at the break (59-51).

This lead of about ten points, however, was short-lived. After taking shots, it’s time for the Celtics to hit back, and they’ve been taking care of it since the restart. Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard scored the first 13 points for the guests and brought two teams back (64-64). The boxing match is excellent between two teams with such contrasting styles, yet so close to each other. Cunningham sends Duren to the sky for an alley? Brown immediately shuts down a hot 3-point shot. It takes all the science of Tobias Harris in a mid-range game to keep Detroit in check with a very short lead in the final quarter.

Jaylen Brown spills almost everything

And this “yours, mine” game continues in the final act. Jaden Ivey makes a 3-pointer, then Duncan Robinson makes his fifth long-range basket of the night to give the Pistons a five-point lead (96-91). But Cueta sounded a revolt on both sides of the field with his ferocity, and then Brown restored the advantage to Boston with another contested layup three minutes from time.

This knife thriller is decided by several shots. Detroit shot just 6/25 on 3-pointers after three quarters, but went a decisive 5/10 in the fourth, with Tobias Harris playing the hero with two pointers in the final three minutes. Jaylen Brown misses two free throws, but makes two floaters to make up for it.

The Boston star even has a game-winning shot in his hands, but his fadeaway bounces off the rim twice before going out. Pistons escape at the last minute (104-103).

WHAT TO REMEMBER

– Worthy of a playoff battle. The encounter felt more like a high-stakes matchup in the final stages than a “simple” regular season game. The Pistons relied on their defensive rigor with five blocks in the second quarter to get back into the game, before a pair of shots by Tobias Harris. In the regular season, Detroit beat the two teams 3-1, and the matches were decided by a maximum of seven points.

– Cade Cunningham and Jailen Brown honor their selection for the All-Star game. Like all players in this match, the two leaders of the Pistons and Celtics shot clumsily (11/28 for Brown, 4/17 for Cunningham). But Brown acted like a boss, regularly scoring for Boston with his 32 points, and could have finished the game as a hero. Cunningham was less prominent in this sector with “only” 16 units. But the leader did an outstanding job of distribution with 14 assists without a single turnover, a career high.

– The Pistons widen the gap at the top of the East. With this success, Detroit is now 5.5 wins ahead of its midseason victim of the night. Without developing in the same realms in terms of wins (31-10 anyway), the Pistons now have the same lead as the Thunder – long so dominant – over the rest of the Western pack. This speaks volumes for a superb first half of the season for JB Bickerstaff’s men.

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How to read statistics? Min = Minute; Shots = Shots Successful / Shots Attempted; 3 points = 3 points / attempt 3 points; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive jump; T = Total number of jumps; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal mistakes; Int = intercepts; Bp = lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = point difference when the player is on the court; Points = Points; Rating: player rating calculated based on positive actions – negative actions.