Pistons host Celtics in battle of surprise East frontrunners
The Detroit Pistons weren't supposed to be the top team in the Eastern Conference. The Boston Celtics were supposed to be in a transition year after shedding salary last offseason.
Instead, they currently hold the top two spots in the standings. They'll have a showdown in Detroit on Monday night.
The Pistons reached the 30-win mark by pummeling undermanned Indiana on Saturday, 121-78. They've won five of their last six games.
The Celtics hit the midway point of the season with 26 victories by clobbering Atlanta on Saturday, 132-106. They've won seven of their last 10 games.
The Pistons jumped to a 24-2 lead over the Pacers and never looked back. Indiana sat out most of its regulars due to injuries or simply to rest players in the second game of a back-to-back.
"The approach they came with (Saturday), I thought was great," coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "You know, making the switch late, figuring out who was going to play, who wasn't going to play for them. But then having a professional approach, and that's pretty consistent for our guys. Playing to our identity. So, I was proud of that."
Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson and Javonte Green had 16 points apiece as the Pistons led by as many as 46 points.
"I think for the NBA in general, these games when the top players aren't playing, are the hardest," Green said. "We just came in with the focus of playing Pistons' basketball for 48 minutes."
Detroit will certainly have fresh legs for their matchup against Boston. None of the players logged more than 24 minutes on Saturday.
Jaylen Brown continued to play at an MVP level against the Hawks, pouring in 41 points. He's averaging 29.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists.
"When we're playing in sync and are in alignment, we're kind of tough to stop," Brown said.
Boston led by as many as 43 points in the fourth quarter. Sam Hauser had a career night, firing in 10 3-pointers on his first 15 attempts to finish with 30 points.
"Everything you put up, it just feels like it's going to go in or it's going to feel really good," Hauser said. "And that's just kind of how it was (Saturday)," Hauser said.
The Pistons have already faced the Celtics three times this season with Detroit leading the series, 2-1. Detroit won the first matchup 119-113 at home on Oct. 26. Host Boston avenged that loss with a 117-114 triumph on Nov. 26, but the Pistons came away with a 112-105 win in Boston on Dec. 15.
In all three games, the team's top players have shined. Cunningham is averaging 33 points against Boston while Brown is averaging 36 points.
Detroit's Bickerstaff and Boston's Joe Mazzulla are prime candidates for Coach of the Year honors.
"I'm excited to just be a part of this team and be a part of this organization," Bickerstaff said.
Mazzulla wants his surprising club to continue its even-keeled approach, regardless of how it played the previous game.
"That's the goal (Sunday)," Mazzulla said. "We land, we go to film, and we've got to get better."