The Boston Celtics just coughed up a 13-point halftime lead, letting the Detroit Pistons smash the door shut with a pair of killer runs, including a brutal 23-0 stretch in the fourth quarter. It’s the kind of old habit that leaves you scratching your head, watching them let go of the rope once they get comfortable. This wasn’t the start anyone had in mind.
The Wheels Fell Off the Bus in Detroit
Man, that first half felt so good. The Celtics were up double digits, moving the ball, creating gaps in the defense, and hitting their shots. Even with Jayson Tatum’s shooting struggles, you could overlook it because the team was playing solid D and he was working hard elsewhere. But then, BAM! Detroit made defensive adjustments, especially with their help defense, and suddenly Boston’s ability to drive off the dribble just vanished. Getting separation became impossible, and those paint touches dried right up. To make matters worse, former Celtic Javonte Green went full human torch from deep for the Pistons, swinging all the momentum their way. And let’s not even talk about the glass: the Celtics got completely outworked on both ends. When shots were falling, rebounding felt like something they could figure out, but as Detroit started to roll, you were begging them to just grab a board and dictate the tempo.
Who Showed Up? (And Who Didn’t)
Honestly, besides Paul George, who had himself a night, it’s tough to point to any other Celtic and say they played a solid game. Derrick White probably came closest. For me, Payton Pritchard held onto the ball way too long, and Sam Hauser really struggled closing out on defense. Jordan Walsh was pretty much a passenger for most of the game, though he did grab a few boards. And neither Hugo Gonzalez nor Baylor Scheierman, to a far lesser extent, really made the most of their minutes out there. The team needs way more across the board, no doubt. But hey, it was the first game of the season, an early start, and the Pistons are actually a really good team, so maybe we can chalk some of this up to that.
Tatum’s Brutal Night and the Brown Trade Fallout
There’s no sugarcoating it: this was a brutal shooting night for Tatum. He struggled from start to finish, and the timing couldn’t have been worse. This was the first meaningful game since the Celtics shipped out Jaylen Brown, and fans were going to judge him extra harshly, whether that’s fair or not. I’ve always thought trading Brown was the right move, building around one star and for cap reasons. Tatum is the more complete player, and if one of them had to go, he was going to win that head-to-head battle. Sure, I would’ve loved to run it back with both of them, but that’s done. We’ve got to look forward. Still, for some fans, that’s not so clear-cut, and when Tatum struggled, especially leading the team in shot attempts, it definitely rubbed them the wrong way.
Look, Tatum *will* be better. It’s just the first game. But for now, that sting of blowing a big lead and seeing their star struggle out of the gate is a tough pill to swallow. They’ll need to regroup fast, tighten up that defense, and figure out how to keep the ball moving for the next one.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Celtics Blog.
Leave a Reply