The Celtics, now 1.5 games ahead of the Knicks in the standings, hit the midway point of the season with 26 wins by clobbering Atlanta on Saturday, 132-106; they’ve won seven of their last 10 games.
Detroit will certainly have fresh legs for their matchup against Boston, as none of the players logged more than 24 minutes on Saturday.
Boston’s Payton Pritchard (ankle) is questionable after missing Saturday’s game against the Hawks, his first absence of the season.
Get Starting Point
The game will tip off Monday at 8 p.m. at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena and on NBC. Here’s your preview.
When: Monday, 8 p.m.
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit
TV, radio: NBC, Peacock, WBZ-FM 98.5
Line: Detroit -3.5. O/U: 224.0.
CELTICS
Season record: 26-15. vs. spread: 23-18. Over/under: 18-23
Last 10 games: 7-3. vs. spread: 6-4. Over/under: 4-6
PISTONS
Season record: 30-10. vs. spread: 22-18. Over/under: 17-22, 1 push
Last 10 games: 6-4. vs. spread: 5-5. Over/under: 2-8
TEAM STATISTICS
Points per game: Boston 117.0, Detroit 117.7
Points allowed per game: Boston 110.1, Detroit 110.3
Field goal percentage: Boston .473, Detroit .480
Opponent field goal percentage: Boston .448, Detroit .440
3-point percentage: Boston .369, Detroit .353
Opponent 3-point percentage: Boston .368, Detroit .350
Stat of the day: After Jaylen Brown’s 41-point performance against Atlanta, he’s averaging 29.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists.
Notes: Boston led Atlanta on Saturday by as many as 43 points in the fourth quarter. Sam Hauser had a career night, connecting on 10 3-pointers on his first 15 attempts to finish with 30 points. … The Pistons jumped to a 24-2 lead over the Pacers and never looked back. Indiana sat out most of its regulars due to injuries or simply to rest players in the second game of a back-to-back. Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, and Javonte Green had 16 points apiece as the Pistons led by as many as 46 points. … The Pistons have already faced the Celtics three times this season with Detroit leading the series, 2-1. Detroit won the first matchup 119-113 at home on Oct. 26. Host Boston avenged that loss with a 117-114 triumph on Nov. 26, but the Pistons came away with a 112-105 win in Boston on Dec. 15.
Emma Healy can be reached at [email protected] or on X @ByEmmaHealy.
