Detroit Pistons vs Boston Celtics: Match Preview and Predictions - 15th January 2020
Match Details
Fixture: Detroit Pistons vs Boston Celtics
Date & Time: Wednesday, 15 January 2020 (7:00 PM ET)
Venue: TD Garden, Boston, MA
Last Game Results
Detroit Pistons (14-27): 110-117 loss to New Orleans Pelicans (13 January, Monday)
Boston Celtics (27-11): 113-101 win over Chicago Bulls (13 January, Monday)
Detroit Pistons Preview
Coach Dwane Casey has been fielding injury-depleted lineups almost every matchup this season so far. With Blake Griffin (Knee), Reggie Jackson (Back), Luke Kennard (Knee) and more out with serious issues, the Detroit Pistons have fallen short of every goal that they'd have set for themselves in the off-season.
Currently, the Motor City is placed at the 11th spot on the East standings, with an underwhelming 14-27 (0.341) win-loss record. Having lost seven of their last ten matchups, the Pistons' season is slipping out of playoff contention with every passing week.
Key Player - Andre Drummond
Andre Drummond has been holding fort for his team on a regular basis as his team is going through an extended rough patch lately. The 26-year-old center has been averaging a solid double-double of 17.4 points and 15.4 rebounds per contest, while also shooting almost 53% from the field.
Drummond has been crashing the boards at a record pace for a third straight year, stacking up 613 rebounds in this season alone so far. Playing around 34 minutes per matchup, he is backing his monstrous presence in the paint with 1.8 swats and 1.9 steals per game as well this year.
Pistons Predicted Lineup
Sekou Doumbouya, Andre Drummond, Tony Snell, Svi Myhailiuk, Bruce Brown.
Boston Celtics Preview
After losing three straight games, the Boston Celtics beat New Orleans Pelicans and Chicago Bulls in quick succession to improve to 27-11 (0.711) on the season. Yet they are behind the conference leaders in Milwaukee Bucks, the Celtics have been impressive in their approach on both ends of the floor.
Their top 5 defensive and offensive rating is a result of hustle plays on a consistent basis, a trait that makes them certain contenders come postseason.
Key Player - Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum recently dropped 41 in three quarters and showed why his potential is not to be overlooked. Across the 38 games played this year, the 21-year-old is averaging career-high numbers in 21.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.
Despite the presence of Kemba Walker on the roster, Tatum has taken the offensive duties upon himself. Moreover, his effort defense has been a major positive for the Celtics to start the season as well.
Celtics Predicted Lineup
Gordon Hayward, Jayson Tatum, Enes Kanter, Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown
Pistons vs Celtics Match Prediction
The Celtics have a 16-3 record at home this season so far, and the chances of them losing to a sub .500 team at the TD Garden seems too far-fetched. On the other hand, the Pistons might bring Reggie Jackson back to the rotation, but his presence is not expected to tip the scales in a major way either.
Where to watch Pistons vs Celtics?
There will be local coverage of the game on Fox Sports Detroit and NBC Sports Boston from 7:00 PM (ET). You can also live stream the game via NBA League Pass.