BOSTON — The unselfishness that produced the Celtics’ prettiest possession Thursday night started with Jaylen Brown.
Brown didn’t rack up an assist on the play, which came midway through the third quarter of Boston’s 123-99 win against the Pistons. He didn’t even collect a hockey assist for how he contributed to Derrick White’s bucket. But, after Kristaps Porziņģis set a great ball screen and the Pistons switched the action, Brown saw exactly where the ball should go. He didn’t waste time looking for his own offense. Instead of trying to make a move, Brown immediately picked up his dribble and tossed the basketball to Luke Kornet on the opposite side of the court.
Then, with a single gesture, Brown showed he clearly didn’t care about his individual stat line. He just wanted the Celtics to produce the best opportunity possible. Making his intentions clear, Brown pointed his finger at Porziņģis driving toward the rim. With a smaller defender in Cade Cunningham switched onto the 7-foot-2 center, Brown wanted the ball to go to Porziņģis.
Brown’s willingness to let someone else make the play started a ping-ping-ping sequence of ball movement. As Brown wanted, Kornet found Porziņģis in the post. When the Pistons sent hard help Porziņģis’ way, he tossed the ball over his head to where Kornet had cut into space. Detroit rotated over to stop Kornet, and he immediately found White for a wide-open corner 3-pointer.
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“It was a beautiful play,” Porziņģis said.
One of many for Boston against Detroit. On a night when Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff praised the Celtics’ team-first focus, they made him look wise by handing out 34 assists on 46 made baskets.
“Outside looking in, they just seem like they care about winning more than anything else,” Bickerstaff said before the game. “Ninety-nine percent of the time, it seems like they make the right, simple pass to whoever it is that’s open. And I know this sounds crazy, but there aren’t that many teams at that level who would just throw the ball to the open man. And that shows the ultimate amount of trust in the team.”
Bickerstaff first lauded the Celtics’ unselfishness while saying that Jayson Tatum’s absence (right patella tendinopathy) would not change much strategically for the Pistons. Tatum, who played in each of Boston’s first 21 games, missed his second game in the last week and a half. Both absences were against Detroit.
“Obviously, from an individual tendency standpoint, it changes some of the things that you do,” Bickerstaff said. “But they play the same way with or without him. They move the ball. This is one of the most unselfish teams that we’ve seen consistently. They’ve got immense level of talent all over the floor. The way they space the floor, creating 3s and those types of things (don’t change). So it doesn’t change how we’re going to guard them, what we’re going to try to do. Obviously, it just removes a guy who’s extremely talented from the lineup, but this team is good enough to figure out a way to beat you with the guys they have.”
The Celtics found plenty of ways to beat Detroit. Payton Pritchard provided 27 points and 10 assists off the bench. White missed his only 2-point attempt but still finished with 23 points thanks to a 7-for-12 performance from behind the arc. Brown attempted only 12 shots but pitched in 14 points, nine rebounds and six assists.
“I thought he set the tone,” Joe Mazzulla said. “Took five shots in the first half, but he made it a point to really push the pace, to create two-on-ones and find his teammates and be a playmaker. That and his defense. And so I thought he did a great job of that in the first half, facilitating, getting the ball where it needed to get to. I thought he set the tone with that.”
Speaking before the game, Bickerstaff said Brown and Tatum typically do set the tone for the Celtics.
“And then everybody goes out and they repeat what their stars do,” Bickerstaff said. “You know what I mean? Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, those guys could shoot the ball every time they wanted to. But they sacrifice for themselves to make the right play over and over again. And I think it sets the tone. And they’ve built and established a great culture of that here and one people should try to emulate more.”
This Boston core wasn’t always known for its selflessness, but opposing coaches regularly point it out now. Tatum and Brown have grown up as players. The front office surrounded those guys with quick thinkers and willing passers. Even when playing bigger lineups, as they did for much of the game against Detroit, the Celtics are able to create a surplus of quality 3-point attempts. Like Bickerstaff suggested, their ability to punish opponents from deep doesn’t rely solely on Tatum’s presence. Boston has averaged 47.2 3-point attempts per 48 minutes without him on the court, which isn’t quite as many attempts as they produce when he is on the floor (52.2) but would still comfortably lead the league.
The Celtics shot 48 3-pointers Thursday while making at least 20 for the 10th time this season. Eighteen of those 3-point makes were assisted, including one long Pritchard 3-pointer that Porziņģis set up with a pretty touch pass from the post. Though he said the pass wasn’t perfect, his quick thinking on the play took advantage of aggressive Pistons help.
Pritchard from deep 🎯
The NBA’s leader in total PTS off the bench adds another 3!
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— NBA (@NBA) December 13, 2024
“(Nikola) Jokic is so good at this,” Porziņģis said. “I want to learn how to do it even better, but yeah, guys are anticipating for that pass (to the post) to come in. If they overhelp, especially with a shooter like Sam (Hauser) or Payton or any of these guys that are shooters like that, it’s a quick one for me. And honestly it looks good, so I’m going to keep doing it. I want to get more of those. Especially if they make the shots, it’s perfect for me.”
Boston’s players often make the shots. White knocked one down after Brown’s willingness to quickly get off the ball set off one of the best sequences of ball movement all season. From Brown to Porziņģis to Kornet to White, the Celtics worked together to find the best possible shot.
“It’s cool because Luke is such a selfless player,” Porzingis said. “Almost too much sometimes. He gets the ball, he wants to make the right play, pass. And I knew it, like, ‘If I flash in the paint, he’s gonna find me.’ He found me, and then he just, you know, did a little Luke run and cut, and I saw him, threw it to him. I thought he was gonna finish, but then the (defender) came in, (Kornet) kicked out to D-White, and he didn’t let us down.”
(Photo: Eric Canha / Imagn Images)
