NBA: Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum lead Celtics past pesky Pistons
Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics dunks in front of Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons during the second half at Little Caesars Arena on February 26, 2022 in Detroit, Michigan. Boston won the game 113-104. Gregory Shamus/Getty Images/AFP
Jaylen Brown had 27 points and Jayson Tatum contributed 26 points, 11 rebounds and six assists as the Boston Celtics extended their road winning streak to seven games with a 113-104 victory over Detroit on Saturday afternoon.
Payton Pritchard supplied 19 points and six assists off the bench for the Celtics, who have won 11 of their past 12 games. They avenged the lone defeat during that stretch — Detroit’s 112-111 win in Boston on Feb. 16.
Grant Williams added 13 points, four rebounds and three assists and Robert Williams chipped in 10 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 25 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Cory Joseph had 15 points, Marvin Bagley scored 14 and Saddiq Bey added 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists for the Pistons. Detroit made just 7 of 27 3-point attempts.
LET'S GOOOOO pic.twitter.com/hYDvIL0UYi
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 26, 2022
Detroit’s Hamidou Diallo was ejected in the second quarter for touching an official.
Tatum had 17 points. seven rebounds and six assists by halftime but Boston was clinging to a 56-54 lead.
The Celtics never trailed in their past five road games. That streak ended quickly Saturday as Joseph scored the game’s first basket and Detroit led 10-4 during the first three-plus minutes. Neither team had more than a six-point advantage prior to the break.
Joseph also scored the first points of the second half, a 3-pointer. Late in the quarter, Cunningham made two consecutive baskets to give Detroit a 74-71 edge.
Bagley had six points in the final 2:14 of the quarter as Detroit carried an 82-78 lead into the fourth.
Grant Williams had a personal 5-0 run to start the final quarter and provide the Celtics with a one-point edge.
A 10-0 spurt gave the Celtics a 95-88 lead. Pritchard had five points and an assist during that stretch. Tatum stretched the advantage to 10 on a 3-pointer with 5:17 remaining.
After the Pistons pulled within six, Tatum made a dunk with 1:13 remaining.
