The Detroit Pistons enter Monday night’s road game against the Boston Celtics riding a three-game winning streak and plenty of confidence.
“I think we’re the best team in the league and we’re going to continue to prove that,” Pistons center Jalen Duren said after Friday night’s 142-115 victory over Atlanta.
“(Victories like this) show the world that we are serious about winning and that we are serious about competing for a championship, because that’s what we do it for. We’re not just here to win games; we’re here to win championships.”
Detroit has won 20 of its 25 games, which ranks as the second-best start in franchise history. The 1996-97 Pistons also started with a 20-5 record, while the 2005-06 team was a franchise-best 22-3 in 25 games.
Cade Cunningham averages a team-high 26.9 points per game, but Detroit has a solid scoring roster. Eight players reached double figures in the win over Atlanta: Isaiah Stewart (17), Cunningham (15), Duncan Robinson (15), Duren (14), Ausar Thompson (12), Ron Holland II (12), Jaden Ivey (10) and Caris LeVert (10). The reserves scored 77 of Detroit’s season-high 142 points.
“There’s no backup team,” Duren said. “The players coming off the bench are starting-caliber players. So we’re lucky to have a team that focuses, executes and understands the mission. We’re all after the same goal.”
Boston’s momentum came to a halt with a 116-101 loss Thursday at Milwaukee. This ended the Celtics’ season-long five-game winning streak.
Boston led by as many as 14 points in the first half, but made 3 of 26 three-pointers in the final two quarters. The Celtics were held to 34 points in the second half after scoring 35 in the first quarter.
“It just wasn’t our night,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said. “We’ve played good basketball and we knew when we were at our best, and (against Milwaukee) we knew when we weren’t at our best. So we’ve got to get back to work, keep working. It’s one of those nights where it’s not our night and we move on to the next one.”
Boston’s Jaylen Brown averages 29.1 points per game, the sixth best average in the league, in addition to 6.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists. Brown has been asked to carry more of the offensive load because the Celtics have been without the injured Jayson Tatum this season, so he has scored at least 30 points in 14 of his 24 games. Last year, he only did it nine times in 63 games.
“I think the level of expectations has always been the same in my mind,” Brown said. “Just go out there and compete, maximize our potential and go from there.”
Sunday’s game will be the third between the two teams this season. The Pistons won 119-113 at home on October 26, and the Celtics won 117-114 at Boston on November 26. Boston’s victory ended Detroit’s 13-game winning streak.
Brown scored 41 points in the loss to Detroit and led Boston with 33 as the Celtics beat the Pistons. Cunningham scored 25 points in the first meeting between the two teams and led the game with 42 points during Boston’s 117-114 victory.
–Field level media
