Jayson Tatum scores 37 as Celtics overcome much improved Pistons: 8 takeaways

The Celtics got their first real test of the season from an unexpected source, as the Pistons gave them everything they could handle, but clutch plays by multiple starters helped keep the defending champions unbeaten in a 122-116 victory.

Here are the takeaways.

1. The Celtics appeared to be well on their way to yet another blowout in the early going behind a big first half by Jayson Tatum. The Pistons didn’t appear to have an answer for the Celtics’ unique ability to beat defenders and force help, which jump-started their 3-point heavy attack. The lead stretched as wide as 24 in the first half. 

But the Pistons, who were one of the worst teams in NBA history last year, have been much more competitive in the early going this season, and they weren’t intimidated when the champs started hot. Jaden Ivey (who led the Pistons with 26 points) was essential in the second quarter, burning the Celtics in transition and creating quick baskets in the paint. By the time the first half wrapped up, the 24-point lead had leaked all the way down to 11. 

The Pistons kept working, and the Celtics went icy cold in the third. Behind Ivey and Cunningham, the Pistons eliminated their deficit entirely, and even pushed the advantage to six in the fourth. 

But the Celtics are the champions for a reason, and they know how to pull games out of the fire. Tatum came alive again down the stretch, and both Derrick White and Jrue Holiday made huge plays that maintained the Celtics’ perfect start.

The Pistons may not win a lot of games this year (and really, another losing season could help the rebuild process quite a bit with a little lottery luck), but they are a fun, competitive young group with genuine NBA role players under contract.

The Celtics, meanwhile, proved once again that they are capable of righting the ship when the seas get rocky.

2. To that end, it felt very notable in the second half – as the Pistons rallied, tied the game and took the lead – that Joe Mazzulla went back to the strategy of not calling timeout and letting his team figure out their issues on their own that used to drive fans mad.

The guess here is that Mazzulla relished the opportunity to see his team overcome adversity after two easy wins to open the season.

3. Tatum continued his torrid start, scoring 37 points on 26 shots (6-for-13 from three) to go with four rebounds, two assists and two steals. 

Tatum began by punishing the Pistons when they switched Jalen Duren onto him very similarly to how he hurt the Wizards’ Alex Sarr on Thursday, and when the Pistons started to adjust, he started getting to the rim and scoring. Tatum scored 17 points in the first quarter and 22 in the first half, and when the Pistons began defending him differently, he got himself off the ball and ignited the Celtics’ ball movement. In the fourth quarter, he scored eight points in the final 2:13 to help put the game away.

Three games into the season, Tatum appears to have climbed a couple of spots on a list of the best players in the world, and those are not easy spots to climb at his lofty perch. There are still 79 more regular-season games, of course, but his first few contests have been eye-opening.

4. Jaylen Brown threw up a brutal 6-for-24 shooting performance, which included several very optimistic attempts early in the fourth quarter as the Celtics tried to snap the Pistons’ momentum. One of the more egregious shots came at the eight-minute mark when Brown (who was already 6-for-22 at that point) ignored a wide-open Payton Pritchard in the corner and opted instead to clank a 3-pointer.

But Brown contributed in several other ways – he finished with 24 points thanks to a 9-for-10 performance at the free-throw line (including two big ones with less than 10 seconds remaining), he pulled down 10 boards while frequently boxing out the likes of Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart, and he recorded a team-high five assists.

5. Jrue Holiday waited until the fourth quarter to make his first field goal, but he chose a crucial moment to come alive – with the Celtics trailing by six and just 3:32 remaining, Holiday made back-to-back triples to tie to the game, which got the offense back on track just enough to pull out the narrow victory. 

6. Derrick White, meanwhile, recorded one of the nastiest blocks we’ve seen by him in a crucial moment. The Pistons ran a really nice set for a cutting Cade Cunningham, who appeared to have Holiday beaten after curling around a screen, but White read the play perfectly and rejected what looked like a certain two points.