Celtics forward Gordon Hayward
Head coach Brad Stevens’ Boston Celtics (3-2) are in a mild “funk” — by their standards — to start the season, while the Dwane Casey and the Detroit Pistons (4-0) haven’t lost a game. They meet up in an Eastern Conference matchup at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday night in Motown.
The game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on NBC Sports Boston (in Celtics markets) and Fox Sports Detroit (in Pistons markets). If you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can still watch a live stream of the game (or DVR it) on your computer, phone, tablet or streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
How to Watch Celtics vs Pistons Online if You’re in Market
NBC Sports Boston (local markets) and Fox Sports Detroit (local markets) are included in the main Fubo bundle, which has 85 total channels and is tailored towards sports. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the FuboTV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the FuboTV app.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV comes with 30 hours of Cloud DVR (with the ability to upgrade to 500 hours), as well as a “72-Hour Lookback” feature, which allows you to watch games up to three days after they air even if you forgot to record them.
In addition to a Netflix-like on-demand streaming library, Hulu also offers a bundle of 50-plus live TV channels, including NBC Sports Boston (local markets) and Fox Sports Detroit (local markets). You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Hulu app.
If you can’t watch live, “Hulu with Live TV” comes with 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
Fox Sports Detroit (local markets) is included in the “Sling Blue” channel package, but NBC Sports Boston is not available on Sling. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial right here, and you can then watch the game live on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Sling TV app.
If you can’t watch live, you can get 50 hours of cloud DVR storage as an additional add-on.
How to Watch Celtics vs Pistons Online if You’re Out of Market
If you live outside of the Celtics or Pistons area, all out-of-market, non-nationally televised games can be watched through NBA League Pass. You can sign up and watch through a number of different platforms:
You can sign up for either NBA League Pass, which lets you watch all out-of-market games, or NBA Team Pass, which lets you watch all of one team’s games if they’re out of market. Once signed up, you’ll be able to watch games on your computer via the NBA.com website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the NBA app.
If you have FuboTV or sign up for a new subscription, you can add NBA League Pass to your channel bundle. After signing up, you’ll be able to watch games on your computer via the Fubo website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Fubo app.
If you have Sling TV or sign up for a new subsription, you can add NBA League Pass or NBA Team Pass to your channel bundle. Once signed up, you’ll be able to watch games on your computer via the Sling website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Sling app.
Preview
The Celtics have started the season by struggling on offense. Through five games, they’re averaging 100.4 points per 100 possessions (Only Oklahoma City, averaging 99.4, is worse), shooting an abysmal 40 percent from the field (good for 28th in the league) and shooting 31% from three (tied for 25th).
These struggles are to be expected from a team trying to work two star players back into their starting rotation in Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. Kyrie still doesn’t look to have his legs under him yet and it’s showing: He’s shooting 40% from the field. That shouldn’t last long and you shouldn’t worry.
There is more to worry about with Gordon Hayward, though. Hayward doesn’t seem nearly as explosive as he used to be, and though that’s to be expected early, you have to wonder if or when he will begin to look like his former self. Hayward’s game is predicated on being a driver and driving to the rim with a bit of reckless abandon; he seems timid so far.
Through all their offensive struggles, the Celtics look to be the best defensive team in the league. They’re allowing only 98.2 points per 100 possessions, which is four points better than the next best team. Teams are shooting 41% from the field and 29% from three against them (3rd best in the league in both categories).
The Pistons have come out of the gates sizzling hot. Only one of four remaining undefeated teams. Though their schedule has been easy to start, picking up three wins against bottom-tier opponents (Bulls, Cavs, Nets) — including the win over the Philadelphia 76ers — was promising, and it’s a good sign they can beat bad teams.
Blake Griffin has started the season on a tear, averaging 33 points, 11 rebounds and five assists per game on 55% shooting and 65% from three. Griffin went off for a monster 50-point game against the 76ers. Even though you can’t expect his three-point shooting to sustain at that level of efficiency, it’s promising how good Blake has looked on both sides of the floor.
Also promising is Reggie Jackson shooting 40% from three on 11.7 attempts per game. Spacing the flooring has been a problem for Detroit, so if Reggie can continue to shoot close, that willl really help Blake and the roster depth offensively. Luke Kennard will be out 3-4 weeks with a shoulder sprain, which ultimately hurts Detroit’s shooting depth, so the starters will need to take on the brunt of the work.