Celtics Hold Griffin Under 10, Handily Snap Pistons Win Streak

Boston Celtics Hayward

Getty Gordon Hayward, #20 for the Boston Celtics.

Going into Saturday night’s Celtics vs. Pistons matchup, it seemed that the Celtics would have a tough game ahead of them. The Pistons have started off the season red hot, entering the night 4-0 as one of the few remaining undefeated teams left in the league, while the Celtics’ record of 3-2 left a bit to be desired from the powerhouse team.

Add to that the fact that Celtics center Aron Baynes was out for the third game in a row, and it seemed almost certain that Boston would either have to grind out a tough win, or lose to the team with the greater momentum.

Thankfully for Boston, it became clear early that any fears about both Baynes and Theis remaining out were unfounded. Theis took the floor and scored a quick 14 points–by far his season high–and the Celtics found themselves with a comfortable early lead while the Pistons struggled to recover through the second quarter.

Only one player, Stanley Johnson, reached double figures, and the team left for halftime down 12 with only 41 points. Blake Griffin for the entirety of the game was held to under ten points–an anomaly so far this season with him averaging more than 30 PPG–and the Celtics came away with an easy win.

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