Jaylen Brown ruled out for Celtics-Pistons matchup with thigh bruise
Without Jaylen Brown, a tired Celtics team was no match for energized Pistons
With Jaylen Brown out and the Pistons rested, the Celtics had little left to offer after a valiant second-quarter run. Led by the hot shooting and trash talk of Malik Beasley, the Pistons dominated the Celtics in the second and ran away to a 117-97 win.
Boston Celtics injury report: Jaylen Brown listed for Pistons game
Pistons stomp Celtics to post longest winning streak in a decade and a half
In their previous two seasons, the Detroit Pistons win 31 games combined. On Wednesday, they won their 33rd game of the season.
Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis calls out 'terrible' player in loss to Pistons
Just to make matters worse, the Celtics allowed 62 paint points for the Pistons and they got outscored by 21 in transition (29-8), as pointed out by Zack Cox of the Boston Herald. The interior defense being shaky certainly reflects back on Porzingis' efforts, so it's not too hard to see why he's being that hard on himself after the loss.
Boston Celtics at Detroit Pistons odds, picks and predictions
Analyzing Wednesday’s Boston Celtics at Detroit Pistons odds and lines, with NBA expert picks, predictions and best bets.