Celtics hammer Pistons
DETROIT — Oh, so this is what all those prognosticators were talking about when they predicted beastly things from the Celtics. The second-half blitz in Oklahoma City on Thursday night apparently was not some smoke-and-mirrors production. The C’s came in here last night and put a beatdown on a Pistons crew that had won its first four games and figured to hurt the Aron Baynes-less Shamrocks inside. Instead, the Celtics swarmed the Pistons on the way to a 109-89 victory. The positive signs, both large and small, were everywhere. Jaylen Brown beat his season-high of 13 points with 14 in the first half and finished with 19, though his work as the primary defender on Blake Griffin was probably more important to the outcome. Daniel Theis, questionable because of a sprained left foot (he was being checked for a right heel injury afterward), was a pain in the Pistons’ posterior with 17 points and eight rebounds. Marcus Morris again was a major spark off the bench with 18. And Gordon Hayward looked more like Gordon Hayward than he has since he got to the Celtics. He finished with a modest seasonhigh 15 points, but much of the quickness and ease of his moves was back after a season away with a leg injury. When Hayward opened the second half by driving on 6-foot-11 Andre Drummond for a score, there had to be a collective nod in Celtics nation. So, too, was there a touch of relief as the Celts boarded their flight home from a 2-0 trip that started amid some questions and doubts. That the Celtics did this on a night when Kyrie Irving had three points on 1-of-5 shooting, Jayson Tatum had six on 2-of-9 and Al Horford had just four served to support the claim they have the kind of high-quality depth that can allow them to succeed in many different ways. “Everybody was trying to do all the right stuff,” said coach Brad Stevens, whose club led by as many as 12 in the first quarter and stretched it out from there. “I thought we again had possessions as a team that we could have done better, but that’s just part of it. We’re fortunate enough to have a lot of depth, and as we continue to grow and get more comfortable, then hopefully we’ll be better.” Irving had seven rebounds and five assists and was key to pushing the tempo early. “I was talking to a few of my teammates about this, but my quote for this year is just, ‘Be cool,’” Irving said. “I just have to stay cool, because if I start bucking and getting back into the old habits of what I’m used to ... and the clear realization is that this is not what I’m used to . ... It’s not going to be everyone’s night every night. “But I know when it gets down the stretch when I’m needed, then I’m going to be ready. So that’s just being a professional.” And as they did when coming back from 16 down in OKC, the Celtics let their defense do much of the talking. Griffin came into this one leading the league in scoring at 33.8 and fourth in 3-point percentage at .652 (15-for-23). But he missed his first seven shots, going scoreless until the 3:11 mark of the second quarter when Theis was called for a goaltend. Griffin ended with seven points on 2-for-13 shooting that included an 0-for-4 on 3-pointers. Of Stevens giving him the defensive assignment, Brown said, “It’s a lot of trust, so I appreciate that from the coaching staff. And I think we did a good team job on him tonight. He’s been averaging big numbers in the last four games, and we held him under his average. That was really big.” On how much he needed to have an offensive night like this for his confidence, Brown grinned and said, “I wasn’t tripping. For me, it’s just coming out and playing basketball. It’s a blessing, so just coming out and being able to see something go down was good for me. But for us to continue to win and come out and beat a team that’s 4-0 was even better.” And better, as well, is the fact people are willing to step aside to a needed degree and let others take the reins when necessary. “It’s great,” Irving said. “Everything else will take care of itself. I truly believe that. It’s easy to go back and be selfish and care about the outside world and what they want you to do, but it’s even harder to learn on a day-today basis of how to be a better teammate.”