The Boston Celtics squeaked by the pesky Detroit Pistons on Friday night to win their fifth consecutive game.
Detroit did all it could to spoil the C's return to TD Garden, which included a celebration of the team's 75th anniversary. It kept it close for three quarters, entering the fourth trailing by only two points, but Boston was able to pull away in a dominant final frame to earn a 114-103 victory.
Jayson Tatum dropped a game-high 31 points to continue his torrid stretch. Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart contributed 22 and 20 respectively for the Celtics.
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SIGN UP HERE Cade Cunningham, the top pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, led Detroit with 27 points on the night. Marvin Bagley and Jerami Grant added 20 points apiece.
Forsberg: Offensive surge is biggest reason for Celtics optimism
Here are some instant takeaways from the Celtics' win, which brings them to 41-27 on the season and ties them with the Chicago Bulls for fourth in the Eastern Conference standings. They'll host the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday with Kevin Garnett's jersey retirement ceremony set to take place after the game. You can watch the ceremony right here on NBC Sports Boston.
Jayson Tatum extends impressive streak
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As the Celtics earn their fifth consecutive win, Tatum gets his fifth straight game with at least 30 points.
The 24-year-old superstar finished with 31 points on 13-of-27 shooting, which is sort of an off night when compared with his recent performances. He entered Friday night with 33, 37, 54, and 44 points in his previous four games.
The man has reached another level.
Tatum's five straight games with 30+ points matches the longest such streak of his NBA career. He also accomplished the feat during the 2019-20 campaign from Feb 23. - March 4.
Put some respect on Marcus Smart's DPOY case
Oddsmakers don't love Marcus Smart's chances of winning his first Defensive Player of the Year award. The longest-tenured Celtic currently is listed with +15000 odds despite yet another spectacular defensive season for the best defensive team in the NBA.
Much of that lack of recognition is due to guards consistently being overlooked for the award. No guard has taken home the Defensive Player of the Year hardware since Gary Payton did in 1995-96.
Smart's performance Friday night reminded the world he absolutely deserves to be in the conversation. He wreaked havoc with five steals and terrorized Pistons rookie Cade Cunningham, who was on fire from the field before Smart guarded him in the third quarter.
Celtics big man Robert Williams, one of the current frontrunners for DPOY, lobbied for Smart to win the award.
"I think Smart deserves it, to be honest," Williams said Friday. "A lot of my defensive grit and my will to fight out there I get from just watching him. Even in practice, him being vocal. On the court, he’s a great defensive anchor for us, but he’s a better leader. And he doesn’t even know it.
"He’s always talking, putting guys where they need to be. Just me, I feel like Smart should be the number one (candidate) for that. We try to help each other when we’re out there. I try to learn from him as much as possible. I feel like if anyone deserves (DPOY), it's him."
Celtics' lockdown D makes late appearance
This was far from the Celtics' most impressive defensive performance for three quarters. The Pistons were shooting the lights out until C's head coach Ime Udoka called a timeout with 58.7 seconds left in the third. From there, Boston's D showed why it's the top-rated unit in the league.
It took 11 minutes and 29 seconds for Detroit to get its first field goal in the fourth quarter. The drought allowed the Celtics, who led by only two (92-90) heading into the fourth, to pull away and win by 11. The Pistons ended up with only two field goals in the final frame, both in the final minute, tying for the fewest FG by a team in any quarter this season.
Cade Cunningham shows star potential
Besides a dismal fourth quarter for him and the entire Pistons offense, Cunningham showed the TD Garden crowd why he was selected with the first overall pick in the draft.
The 20-year-old notched his 10th game of the season with at least 25 points, leading all rookies in that category. He's scored at 20+ points in seven of his last eight games. He also tied an impressive franchise record set by Grant Hill.
Cunningham's final stat line on the night: 27 points (10-27 FGM), eight rebounds, and six assists. The Oklahoma State product is improving with each game this season, and it's scary to think about the leap he could make in the next year or two of his promising career.
