The top two teams in the East squared off in another thriller Monday night, with Jaylen Brown and the Celtics falling to the first-place Pistons.
The top two teams in the Eastern Conference squared off in another thriller Monday night.
Jaylen Brown (32 points, 11 rebounds) outproduced fellow NBA All-Star starter Cade Cunningham, but his last-second fadeaway missed the mark, allowing the East-leading Detroit Pistons to escape with a 104-103 win over the second-place Celtics at Little Caesars Arena.
“(Brown is) a super talented player playing at an all-time level right now,” Pistons forward Tobias Harris said in a postgame interview with NBC sideline reporter Robbie Hummel. “… At the end of the day, I know he’s going to hit tough shots, but it’s just about making those looks hard for him.”
Cunningham, whom Brown guarded for much of the game, finished with 16 points on 4-of-17 shooting, but he dished out 14 assists, more than Boston’s team total. Harris led the Pistons with 25 points, including a corner 3-pointer with 1:37 remaining that proved to be the game-winner.
Five Celtics players scored in double figures, and centers Neemias Queta and Luka Garza kept Boston competitive in the second half with strong minutes against Detroit’s formidable frontcourt. But it was a rough outing for Derrick White, who went 1-for-11 from the field and 0-for-6 from 3-point range to finish with a season-low four points.
The Celtics finished with a 14-9 edge in offensive rebounds and made more 3-pointers and free throws than the Pistons, but Detroit’s commanding margins in points off turnovers (19-4) and fast-break points (20-3) proved costly for Boston.
Though Detroit won the season series between the two East front-runners, 3-1, all four games were decided by seven points or fewer, with the final three carrying a playoff-type feel.
