Pistons vs Celtics preview: Two of the hottest teams in the East collide

The Detroit Pistons are on a seven-game winning streak and can slide into the 5th seed with a win against the reigning champions tonight. The Boston Celtics are on a back-to-back and arrive winners of six in a row. Who would’ve thought a Celtics-Pistons matchup in late February would be a critical game for both squads? (Celtics seeding isn’t in jeopardy, but they want to continue to string good games together as we gear up for the postseason).

The Celtics are easily the best team Detroit has faced during this winning streak. They’ll look to target the Pistons’ weak spots. We’ll better understand how Detroit’s recent top-notch defense will fair against a top offense, stretch bigs, and a revolving door of drive-and-kicks.

Game Vitals

When: 7 p.m. ET
Where: Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan
Watch: Fan Duel Sports Network Detroit
Odds: Pistons +4.5

Analysis

Boston is one of three Eastern Conference teams Detroit has matched up with and is winless against so far this year (0-3 Boston, 0-3 Cleveland, Milwaukee 0-2).

One could see that stat and worry about their playoff chances since these are the top dogs in the East (Milwaukee hasn’t played up to par, but that’s a tough out with Giannis + Dame). That takeaway is fair if your barometer is whether the Pistons are true contenders, but Detroit has played well vs the current third-seeded New York Knicks. That’s a matchup where Detroit can attack the Knicks’ pressure points better than New York can the other way around.

Boston doesn’t have the same limitations as the Knicks. They don’t have a defensive liability at center who draws “he’s too little” remarks from opponents. That’s when Kristaps Porzingis actually plays, though. If Boston trots out Torrey Craig as their starting center against Jalen Duren, they’ll be in for a wake-up call in Detroit. Porzingis, Luke Kornet, and Al Horford all missed last night’s game against Toronto, so maybe they’ll be back against the playoff-pushing Pistons.

Boston plans to stretch Duren to the perimeter regardless of who suits up. He’s been so-so closing out and staying attached to bigs with jumpers all season. His improvement over the last two months stems from his activity, and more of that will be needed to leave Little Caesars Arena victorious in this one. If the Celtics go small, Duren must throw his weight around in the paint, making Joe Mazzulla reconsider his lineup choices.

Duren can be dominant, but it is unlikely that Mazzulla will change his strategy. He’s a stickler for the math battle and will gladly exchange Duren paint shots for triples on the other end. Detroit’s on-ball defense and rotations are key to slowing down the Celtics drive-and-kick offense. Keeping the ball in front and constantly communicating on X-outs are essential for the Pistons tonight.

Cade Cunningham continues his All-NBA bid. A stellar game against the champs in a pivotal matchup this late in the season could catch voters’ attention. He’s been dominant all month, and doing it against the best of the best adds to his case.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo (contingent on games played), and Jayson Tatum are penciled in the first team slots today. Cade has a case for the 5th spot.

Tonight’s matchup will likely feature Ausar Thompson going against Tatum. It’s amazing how Trae Young is his matchup one night, and a few games later, he’s matched with a 6-foot-8 primary creator. That versatility doesn’t grow on trees. Boston’s All-Defensive guard, Jrue Holiday, should suit up tonight after resting yesterday. The first two Pistons-Celtics matchups were good ball; we should be in store for another good game tonight.