Celtics fans have nothing to worry about. They showed everyone tonight that they are still the same dominant team that won the title last season.
They beat the Pistons for the second time this season, in a game that was never even close. They played physical in every phase of the game. They out-hustled the Pistons, out-rebounded the Pistons and out-defended the Pistons.
The Pistons all had dazed looks on their faces from the second quarter on to the finish. They looked like a lost team without any answer for what the Celtics were doing to them.
The Celtics made it look really easy. From the big three right down the last bench player, the Celtics played basketball the way it is supposed to be played.
They played stifling defense all night, holding the Pistons to 43 percent shooting. They out-rebounded the Pistons 42 to 37 and only turned the ball over 12 times to the Pistons 16.
Putting all statistics aside, however, if you watched this game, it would be nearly impossible to come up with any excuses for the Pistons. Eddie House had a hot night shooting the ball for the Celtics, but that isn’t the reason they won.
The Celtics just looked stronger, smarter, and more alert than the Pistons. Were the Pistons tired after playing last night in Cleveland? Maybe, but the beating they took from the Celtics was more than just basic fatigue could cause.
The Pistons clearly don’t match up well with the Celtics and it looks like it will take one of the young, talented, improving teams like a Toronto, Atlanta, or Philadelphia to challenge the Celtics for the Eastern conference championship.
That is, if anyone can really challenge the Celtics. It may be early in the season, but it sure looks like a Celtics versus Lakers rematch in the NBA Finals this coming spring.
Keywords: Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons
