Celtics-Pistons takeaways: Another big night for Sam Hauser originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Celtics treated the TD Garden crowd to a lopsided win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.
After starting just 3-for-13 from 3-point range in the first quarter, the C’s found their groove and shot 15-for-33 from beyond the arc for the remainder of the game. Detroit shot just 21.2 percent (7-for-33) from 3 and 41.6 percent from the field, and that was the difference-maker in the 128-112 rout.
Celtics stars Jayson Tatum (31 points) and Jaylen Brown (30 points) led the way while Sam Hauser (18 points) added a boost off the bench. Marcus Smart dished 11 assists, marking the first time the veteran guard has had double-digit assists in three consecutive games.
Jaden Ivey, the Pistons’ 18-year-old rookie who was selected fifth overall in the 2022 NBA Draft, had a team-high 19-points to go with 10 rebounds.
Forsberg: Defense could be key to Tatum’s MVP chances
The Celtics will look to make it five consecutive victories when they host the Denver Nuggets on Friday night. Here are three takeaways from Wednesday’s win.
Sam Hauser plays a starring role
So far, Hauser has rewarded the Celtics for giving him an increased role with the team this season.
The sharpshooter once again provided a spark off the C’s bench with his second double-digit scoring output in his last three games. Less than one week since dropping 17 points against the New York Knicks, Hauser posted a new career-high with 24 vs. Detroit.
Hauser shot 9-for-15 from the field (6-for-12 from 3). That makes him 53.3 percent from long-range so far this season, and it’s more than Brad Stevens and Co. could have asked for when they gave the undrafted Virginia product a vote of confidence heading into the campaign.
The Jays assert their dominance
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown took the young Pistons to school with a combined 61 points in Wednesday’s win.
It was a slow start for Tatum, who scored only five points in the first half. But the Celtics superstar wasted no time making his presence felt in the second half as he erupted for 16 points in the first five minutes of the third quarter.
Tatum found his 3-point shot (5-for-11) as he finished with 31 points and five assists to top it off. The TD Garden crowd shared their thoughts on his stellar start to the campaign.
Jayson Tatum receiving “MVP!” chants here as he straddles the line with 8:09 left in the 4Q.
— Marc D’Amico (@Marc_DAmico) November 10, 2022
While Tatum was cold to start, Brown was outstanding from start to finish. He put up 17 points in the first half, including this thunderous dunk in the second quarter.
Brown was a team-best +25 while tallying 30 points (11-19 FG) with seven rebounds and three assists. Both Tatum and Brown have taken their game to another level through the first 11 games of the season.
The one blemish on the night for Boston was Malcolm Brogdon exiting the game with a hamstring issue. The veteran point guard was ruled out for the second half due to what the team called hamstring tightness.
Before the injury, Brogdon scored nine points but had an uncharacteristic four turnovers in 14 minutes. Payton Pritchard saw more playing time in his absence and finished with four points (2-6 FG) and three rebounds in 12 minutes.
C’s fans will hope Brogdon’s departure was only a precaution as the 29-year-old has been plagued by injuries throughout his career. His status will be worth keeping tabs on leading up to Friday night’s game vs. Denver.
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