On the second night of a back-to-back against an Eastern Conference contender, the Pistons needed a lift on Friday.
Rookie wing Saddiq Bey rose to the occasion — and then some. He scored a career-high 30 points, grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds and set the franchise’s record for 3-pointers made in a game by a rookie, going 7-for-7 from deep to lead the Pistons to a 108-102 upset against the Boston Celtics.
Delon Wright continued his run of strong performances with 22 points, seven assists and six rebounds. He has at least 22 points and seven assists in three of his last four games. The Pistons improved to 3-1 overall when Wright scores at least 20 points.
Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 33 points, and Jaylen Brown added 27.
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Saddiq Bey has historic shooting night
Bey has had stretches this season where he looked like the best shooter on the roster. On Thursday, he was certainly that. And more
Bey couldn’t miss, to put it simply. He posterized Grant Williams midway through the second quarter, drew a foul and completed the and-1. The play seemed to energize him, as he made all three of his 3-point attempts before halftime. In the second and third quarters, he went 5-for-5 from 3 and made seven of his eight attempts from the field.
It wasn’t all 3-pointers, either. He backed down Williams from the 3-point line to the rim in the first quarter for a layup and drew a foul on Jaylen Brown while posting him up toward the end of the second quarter. Converting looks inside the arc has been a process for Bey this season, but he hasn’t shied away from being physical near the rim; it paid off several times against the Celtics.
Head coach Dwane Casey inserted Bey back into the game with 2:10 reamining in the fourth, with the Pistons nursing a two-point lead after leading by double-digits at the beginning of the quarter. On cue, Bey hit the game-clinching 3-pointer with 38.7 seconds left.
Friday was a career night for Bey, but it has been a good week overall for the rookie. He scored 15 during Detroit’s win against the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, making all six of his shots, including three 3-pointers. All 15 came in the fourth quarter. After a strong start to the season, Bey went cold toward the middle of January. It looks like he’s found his rhythm again.
Injuries force more experimentation at center
The Pistons were without Mason Plumlee (right elbow bursitis) and Jahlil Okafor (left knee surgery) on Thursday against the Indiana Pacers, and their lack of size hurt them in the 17-point loss. Casey said the Pistons would rely on Sekou Doumbouya as a small-ball center until Plumlee returned.
But Doumbouya was out Friday with a concussion. Isaiah Stewart logged his second career start, but subbed out less than three minutes in after picking up his second foul. Jerami Grant, who played center before joining the Pistons, made his franchise debut at the position at the beginning of the second quarter.
Griffin, who played both games on a back-to-back for the first time since 2019, also played extended minutes at center. It’s unclear if Plumlee or Doumbouya will return in time for Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Pistons stay hot vs. good teams
Those who haven’t been watching the Pistons closely this season might be surprised to read who their seven wins have come against this season.
The list — the Celtics, Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers, Nets and the Celtics, again.
Even with a blowout loss Thursday, the past seven days might’ve been Detroit’s best of the season. They took a healthy Lakers team to two overtimes Saturday, defeated the Nets (albeit without Kevin Durant) at home on Tuesday, and decisively defeated the Celtics on Friday. The Pistons are hitting their stride as their tough schedule is set to ease up.
Contact Omari Sankofa II at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @omarisankofa. TRead more on the Detroit Pistons and sign up for our Pistons newsletter.
