Recap: Celtics destroy Detroit on national TV

Playing their first nationally televised game of the season, the Celtics used a late third quarter run, sparked by Isaiah Thomas to defeat the Pistons 113-103, and inch closer to making the playoffs.  Don’t let the final score fool you, it wasn’t this close most of the game.  Thomas ended the third quarter with a +37 rating in just 21 minutes.  Thomas was so good it prompted this exchange between ESPN and Stan Van Gundy:

Reporter: “What turned?” SVG: “Isaiah Thomas. We can’t guard him whatsoever.” R: “How do you change that?” SVG: “I have absolutely no idea.”

— Evans Clinchy (@evansclinchy) April 9, 2015

IT is also pretty good at the pick and roll:  

Isaiah Thomas impact: Celtics P&R ball-handlers average 0.727 points per play. Thomas is 0.919 ppp, 89th percentile (@SynergySST data) — Chris Forsberg (@ESPNForsberg) April 9, 2015

Even old friend Jordan Crawford was amazed by IT’s dominance:

He is destroying the Pistons right now!! Yoooo somebody call the boyz!!!

— Jordan Crawford (@jcraw55) April 9, 2015

The Celtics started off the game a bit slow, perhaps some leftover rust from a long and rare 3-days off, but once the bench checked in, they ended the quarter on an 18-0 run to take a 30-16 lead.  Isaiah Thomas led the bench again, including a 3-point bomb to beat the buzzer at the end of the quarter.  Jonas Jerebko pulled out a vintage rolling hook shot with beautiful execution.  The Pistons meanwhile, were excelling at ugly turnovers, prompting Stan Van Gundy to drop multiple F-bomb references during a timeout.

The second quarter began much of the same way that the first quarter ended: with the Pistons uninterested in playing basketball and the Celtics on their way to a rout.  Marcus Smart kept harassing Reggie Jackson, prompting Jackson to commit a frustration offsensive foul.  Detroit eventually decided they wanted to play, and made their run, going into halftime down by 8 points.  The second half started with AB drilling a three, followed by a Jackson/Andre Drummond alley-oop.  The Pistons were actually an open, missed jump hook by Greg Monroe from tying the game in the third, but the C’s ultimately ran away with the game at the end of Q3 when Thomas ran all over them.

The Celtics now face LeBron James and the Cavs for back-to-back games, first in Cleveland on Friday and then at home Sunday at the Garden.  Everyone is speculating, and hoping, that LeBron (and maybe others) use one of these games as a chance to rest.  The playoff push continues.

The Green: The Celtics didn’t allow the long lay-off to effect their effort for the most part

IT looked like he benefitted the most from the rest, as he looked like he’s finally back to his old self

The C’s snapped Detroit’s five-game home winning streak ,while extending their road winning streak to 5 games

The Gross: The beginning of the game was a bit lethargic from the C’s as they allowed Detroit to score their first 14 points in the paint.

The Celtics allowed the Pistons to shoot 13-17 in the second quarter, allowing them back in the game The Pistons “crowd” was barely there, prompting Mike Gorman to tell us to not adjust our volume, since nobody is there and it’s quiet

The Greenlights: Jerebko’s Rolling Hook

:

IT’s buzzer beating three:

Turner to KO:

IT pull-up three:

The Grid:

• The Celtics made 33 of 34 FTs
• Evan Turner was a team low (-18)
• Detroit shot 53% FG and 39% 3 FG

Box Score