NBA-leading Celtics power past Pistons
LOS ANGELES, California: The league-leading Boston Celtics, fueled by 33 points from Jaylen Brown, beat the depleted Detroit Pistons, 129-102, to push their NBA winning streak to eight games on Friday (Saturday in Manila).
With teammates Jayson Tatum, Al Horford and Jrue Holiday all out, Brown ably filled the void connecting on 13 of 19 shots from the field.
“[I] just tried to be aggressive coming out,” Brown — who notched his sixth game since the All-Star break of 30 or more points — told NBC Sports Boston. “I know we had some guys out.”
Brown said he tried to keep his teammates involved, and even though he ended up with zero assists, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said he was doing all the right things.
“He’s getting the shots he wants, both for himself and his teammates,” Mazzulla said. “He’s playing very well-rounded basketball, and it has been fun to watch.”
Peyton Pritchard added 20 points, and Derrick White and Kristpas Porzingis scored 19 apiece for Boston, who improved their league-best record to 56-14.
Tatum sat out the first game of a six-game road trip to rest a troublesome ankle. Horford was sidelined by a toe injury and Holiday by an arm injury.
But against last-placed Detroit — who were without half a dozen players after Jalen Duren was ruled out shortly before tip-off with back spasms — the Celtics were still too strong.
James Wiseman got his first start of the season for the Pistons and scored a team-high 24 points.
The Celtics held Detroit scoring leader Cade Cunningham to 15 points on six-of-17 shooting as they extended the league’s longest active winning streak.
In Western Conference action, the Oklahoma City Thunder regained the conference lead with a 123-103 victory over the Raptors in Toronto.
Oklahoma City’s Canadian point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 23 points, grabbed seven rebounds and handed out eight assists, and rookie center Chet Holmgren scored 18 points with 10 rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot.
The Thunder edged back ahead of the defending champion Denver Nuggets for the top spot in the West.
In San Antonio, the Spurs fell 99-97 to the Memphis Grizzlies despite another stellar performance for Rookie of the Year favorite Victor Wembanyama.
The towering French center scored 31 points with 1V rebounds, five assists, two steals and three blocked shots, launching his night with a three-pointer almost from mid-court.
It was tied 97-97 with 18 seconds remaining, but Memphis’ Jaren Jackson Jr. drilled the gamewinning jump shot with just over a second remaining.