20160106-DETBOS

Taylor Snow

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BOSTON – The Boston Celtics have always experienced great difficulty containing Andre Drummond on the glass.

During his career, Drummond has averaged more rebounds against Boston (14.7 per game) than he has versus any other Eastern Conference team. Entering Wednesday night’s matchup at TD Garden, he had also tallied 20-or-more boards during four of his last seven contests against the C’s, including a 22-rebound effort when he faced Boston on Dec. 26.

This time, the Celtics were ready for him on the glass, as they limited him to a season-low five rebounds. Keeping him in check on the boards, however, was not enough in the end as the Pistons came back from a 13-point deficit to win 99-94.

Drummond entered Wednesday’s game averaging a league-leading 16.0 rebounds per game, so suppressing him in that department was a major point of emphasis for the Celtics.

Coach brad Stevens said before the game that doing so would be no easy task, especially on the offensive boards. Drummond is leading the league in that category for the third straight season (5.7 offensive rebounds per game), and that usually leads to an abundance of second chance points.

“You’re not going to keep him from getting an offensive rebound all night, but you just have to make them as difficult as possible,” Stevens prior to tip-off. “I think you have to take away as many of those rim-run and rim-roll dunks as you can, and then obviously get him off the glass.”

The last time Drummond laid a goose egg in the offensive rebounding department was Jan. 14 of last season. The C’s came oh-so-close to breaking that streak Wednesday night, when they held him to just one offensive board.

As for those rim-run and rim-roll dunks Stevens mentioned?

Boston set the tone early against Drummond, as they held him to just two points and two rebounds during his 10-minute stint during the first quarter.

His counterpart, Amir Johnson, scored six points on three dunks during that opening frame. Each of those jams was made possible because the C’s were able to draw Drummond away from Johnson on dribble-drives, leaving him under the hoop for a few easy buckets.

Drummond bit on two of Isaiah Thomas’ drives early in the quarter; the first of which IT passed under the center’s swatting left hand for a wide open Johnson dunk; the second of which resulted in a missed shot for Thomas, though Johnson was there for the put-back slam.

Later during the quarter, Kelly Olynyk drew Drummond away from the rim again on a dribble-drive. As the 6-foot-11 center rose up for a block attempt, KO dished it off under the hoop to his fellow big man for another jam.

Johnson clearly had the upper hand throughout the first half, when he tallied 10 points and eight boards. Drummond, meanwhile, ran into foul trouble during the second quarter and went into the break still holding onto just those two points and two rebounds.

Drummond then found a bit of an offensive rhythm during the second half. He hit two hook shots early in the third, so Johnson opted to foul him knowing that his biggest weakness is the free throw line.

“I think I did well the first couple of quarters [against Drummond],” said Johnson, who finished the game with 16 points and tied a season-high with 11 rebounds. “He got his stuff going in the third and I started to use my fouls a little bit to get him off his game.”

That worked for the time being. Drummond, who is shooting just 36.5 percent from the line this season, hit only 1-of-5 attempts from the stripe during the third quarter.

But then he came alive again in the fourth, hitting three key buckets including a turnaround bank shot that tied the game, 81-81.

“I thought he turned the game around with his physical play,” Stevens said of Drummond’s late surge. “Scoring the ball the way he did in the second half got them going.”

Stevens added, “He’s a hard guy to do a good job on.”

However, when it came to limiting Drummond on the glass, the C’s did better than any opposing team has done this season. He had finished with fewer than 10 rebounds just three times during his first 35 games. No team had held him to less than seven.

It was also the lowest rebounding total Drummond has ever had against the C’s, but containing him in that capacity ultimately wasn’t enough in the end.

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C’s Hold NBA's Leading Rebounder to Season-Low on Glass

Marc D'Amico

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For a while, it appeared as if free throw shooting would cost the Detroit Pistons a win Wednesday night at TD Garden.

In the end, it was the Celtics who were bit in the heels by jitters at the charity stripe.

Boston missed two critical free throws during the final minute that thwarted its attempt to seal a win over the visiting Pistons.  Isaiah Thomas and Marcus Smart were the culprits.

First, with the Celtics trailing 96-92 with 50.6 seconds left in the game, Thomas was inexplicably fouled on a 3-point attempt from the top of the key.  Connecting on all three attempts would have sliced Detroit’s lead down to one, and the C’s would have been in business with, in all likelihood, a one-possession game throughout the final minute.

Thomas, however, misfired on his first attempt before connecting on the final two attempts.  His miss-make-make sequence left the score at 96-94.

Then came an interesting turn before another play could even happen.  As Thomas fired up his final freebie, Smart crashed to the glass and beat Marcus Morris for position.  Morris responded by giving Smart, who stood to inside his left leg and facing the basket, a forearm shiver with his left arm.

A dead-ball foul was called, and seeing as Detroit was already in the penalty, Smart was awarded a free throw – one that could have made up for Thomas’ miss.  However, it wasn’t meant to be.

Smart also clanked his freebie, also attempted at the 50.6-second mark, allowing Detroit to preserve its 96-94 lead.  Boston didn’t score another point, while Detroit tacked on three more for the 99-94 win.

The Pistons finished the contest having hit only 23 of their 36 free throw attempts.  Boston, meanwhile, hit 20 of its 27 attempts but misfired on those two critical attempts during the final minute.

One man was responsible for the fact that Boston even had a chance at grabbing a win Wednesday night.  That man was Isaiah Thomas.

After starting the game ice cold from the field with a 1-for-15 shooting tally, Thomas put the C’s on his back down the stretch to keep them in contention for a win.  He scored 15 consecutive points for Boston from the 7:24 mark of the fourth quarter to the 50.6-second mark.  In fact, he accounted for Boston’s final 15 points of the game.

Thomas scored eight of those 15 points on driving layups, four from the free-throw line, and three from long range.  He made his final five shots of the night.

Thomas finished the game with a team-high 22 points and a game-high 10 assists.  He also pitched in five boards, a steal and a blocked shot during 36 minutes of action.

Brad Stevens on his team searching for consistency.

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Keys to the Game: Pistons 99, Celtics 94

Boston Celtics

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Photos: Pistons vs. Celtics - Jan. 6, 2016

Wednesday, January 6 - Pistons vs. Celtics

Pregame - C’s Stand Pat with Starting Lineup vs. Pistons

BOSTON – Celtics coach Brad Stevens said Tuesday afternoon that he would mull over his starting center options heading into Wednesday night’s matchup against the Detroit Pistons.

The decision came down to whether or not he would keep the floor-spacing Kelly Olynyk in at the 5, or re-insert Jared Sullinger into the starting frontcourt in an attempt to put an extra strong body on Andre Drummond.

Ultimately, Stevens went with the former.

“The more spacing you have the better,” Stevens explained ahead of the 7:30 p.m. tip-off at TD Garden.

Olynyk should match up well against a Detroit team that is loaded with skilled fours who like to space the floor and shoot the 3-ball.

“When you think about how impactful [Ersan] Ilyasova and [Anthony] Tolliver are… it may not just be on that stat sheet; it’s the fact that those rim runs are a little bit more open by those bigs and then the guard driving,” said Stevens. “It just puts you in such a predicament because as the big guarding Drummond, you’re antsy to get back to him because you’re worried about what can happen.”

Stevens said if you’re not careful against Drummond, you’ll end up on a highlight reel, and that’s not a good thing.

Drummond has been a put-back dunking machine this season, so Amir Johnson and any other Celtic big on the floor alongside him will have to be on their toes while defending the glass.

Detroit’s 22-year-old center is leading the league in offensive rebounding (5.7 per game) for the third straight season. That prowess on the offensive boards is enabling him to score 6.5 second chance points per game. No one else in the league is averaging even 4.0 second chance points per game.

Boxing out Drummond is one heck of a tall task according to Stevens, though it’s not impossible.

“You’re not going to keep him from getting an offensive rebound all night, but you just have to make them as difficult as possible,” said Stevens. “I think you have to take away as many of those rim-run and rim-roll dunks as you can, and then obviously get him off the glass.

“But if you try to block him out at the block or closer to the rim, you’re not winning that battle, so you’ve gotta go and meet him earlier, otherwise he’s just too big and strong.”

Another way to try to keep Drummond from scoring down low is by hacking him in the low post. He’s shooting a dismal 36.5 percent from the free throw line this season, and made just 3-of-19 from the stripe during his last three games.

That’s a strategy that the C’s used somewhat during their last trip to Detroit, though he still was an absolute force, tallying 22 points and 22 rebounds.

There are a lot of dilemmas when it comes to defending Detroit’s bigs. Whether it’s containing Drummond down low, or keeping tabs on guys who can space the floor, like Ilyasova, Tolliver and starting power forward Marcus Morris.

That’s one of the reasons why Stevens is sending out a 7-foot floor-spacer of his own to start the game. They’ll just have to find a way of containing Drummond in the low post out of the gate.

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DraftKings Post-Ups: C’s Stand Pat with Starting Lineup vs. Pistons

BOSTON – Facing Reggie Jackson is a major challenge in and of itself when defending the Detroit Pistons.

Add Brandon Jennings into the mix as his backup, and that task becomes all the more daunting.

The veteran point guard ruptured his left Achilles tendon midway through last season and has been easing his way back into the swing of things over the last few weeks. He will continue that comeback journey tonight when his Pistons take on the Celtics at TD Garden.

“I was out for [nearly] 12 months so I definitely was trying to get back as soon as possible,” Jennings said at Detroit’s shootaround this afternoon. “I think just being able to play the game of basketball again is the biggest thing for me.”

Jennings was itching so badly to get back on the court that he voluntarily reported to Detroit’s D-League affiliate – the Grand Rapids Drive – for a rehab assignment in mid-December.

Now back at the NBA level, Jennings has played limited minutes during his first four games, though he’s beginning to make strides. On Monday he notched 17 points and six assists during 18 minutes of play during a win against the Magic.

“He looks like he hasn’t lost a step,” said teammate Andre Drummond, who is leading the league with 16.0 rebounds per game. “I mean that’s just Brandon for you. The way he plays he makes everybody just believe in themselves. He plays hard and he doesn’t take any plays for granted.”

Jackson added, “He’s been doing everything to get back and be his full self, and I think it really showed in the last game. He’s probably still trying to get his steps back and everything, but he’s been looking strong, been playing well for us and he really gives that second aggressive playmaker with an attacker’s mentality that really puts pressure on the defense.”

The Pistons traded for Jackson last season, less than one month after Jennings’ injury took place.

Both players are fully capable of starting, but with Jackson currently running Detroit’s offense to the tune of 19.7 points, 6.4 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game, he’s standing pat as its starting point guard, at least for the time being.

As a result, Jennings is now coming off the bench for the first time in his career, but he’s embracing that role.

“Coming off the bench, I’m just doing my thing with the second unit,” said Jennings, who boasts career averages of 16.5 points and 6.1 assists per game. “I’m bringing a lot of energy, so we’re just rolling.”

Pistons’ coach Stan Van Gundy is also pondering the possibility of having both ball handlers on the floor at once.

“I think having that second playmaker is a good thing,” said Van Gundy. “I don’t know when we’ll get to that, but at least it’s an option to have.”

Jennings likes the sound of that one-two punch, as he believes he and Jackson have the potential to form great chemistry on the court together.

“Having another ball handler out there would definitely help [Jackson] out a lot,” said Jennings. “Also, it would give him chances to play off the ball … That way he can actually get into a flow where I can pass to him and he can create and make things happen, so I think it would be easier for him.”

The Celtics are no stranger to that concept. They often have multiple ball handlers on the floor at once, featuring various combinations of Marcus Smart, Evan Turner and Isaiah Thomas. And they have proven that having two playmakers on the court together can pose problems for opposing defenses.

Defending Thomas should be the biggest problem for Detroit tonight. He has had his way with the Pistons this season, including a season-high 38-point effort against them on Dec. 16.

“He can get into a rhythm where he can go for 30 or 40 any night,” said Jennings. “He definitely keeps you on your toes.”

Jackson added that he and Jennings cannot guard Thomas alone. He emphasized multiple times that it takes a full team effort to keep Boston’s point guard off the board.

“He knows what he’s doing,” Jackson said of Thomas. “He can shoot, he can pass, and he can finish in the lane, so he’s a triple threat. He just makes it very difficult and we just gotta find a way to contain him.”

The same can be said regarding Jackson, as he cuts through opposing defense like a knife through butter. He’s averaging a league-high 12.0 dribble-drives per game; Thomas is close behind in fourth place, driving to the hoop 11.3 times per game.

Those numbers indicate that the point guards will likely be running the show tonight, especially scoring-wise.

Adding Jennings back into the mix only enhances that probability.

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Jennings' Return Spices Up Detroit's Backcourt

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Here are five things to watch out for when the Boston Celtics and the Detroit Pistons meet at 7:30 p.m. tonight at TD Garden.

The Celtics played – and played well – Monday night with a starting lineup that featured two new members, Evan Turner and Kelly Olynyk.  The question is, will either of those players be on the court for tonight’s opening tip?

Turner started in place of Avery Bradley, who suffered a hip-pointer during Saturday’s loss to the Nets.  Brad Stevens seemed to be in pain just discussing how Bradley felt on Sunday, saying the shooting guard could barely “sit, walk (or) move.”  Bradley, according to Stevens, is doubtful for the next two games, meaning that Turner will likely remain in the starting unit unless Marcus Smart sneaks in to replace him.

Olynyk’s status as a starter is much murkier.  Stevens, as well as other Celtics, went on record stating how much of an impact Olynyk’s presence as a shooter made in the starting lineup.  However, Olynyk is not a strong interior defender, and the C’s are facing off against one of the dominant interior presences in the league tonight in Andre Drummond.

There’s certainly a chance that Olynyk will remain in the starting unit, but there’s also a chance that Stevens will pop Jared Sullinger back in there for matchup purposes.

It’s probably a safe assumption that the C’s will use up their fouls tonight.  This is because Drummond will be on the court with them.

Stevens has not been shy in using the ‘hack-a-(player)’ tactic throughout his young NBA coaching career.  He believes that fouling an opposing player who is a poor free throw shooter can lead to a comeback, or at least change the course of each team’s offensive flow.

Boston implemented this tactic during both previous matchups with the Pistons this season.  Drummond, who connects on just 36.5 percent of his free throw attempts, attempted 10 free throws during each matchup.  He made just seven of those 20 attempts.

The game becomes much less entertaining when this tactic is employed, but it oftentimes works.  Stevens will not be shy in using it yet again tonight if he deems it necessary.

While Drummond has struggled mightily from the free-throw line during these teams’ matchups, Isaiah Thomas has excelled.  The charity stripe has been his best friend.

Thomas attempted 11 free throws during these teams’ first meeting and 10 during the second.  He connected on 20 of those 21 attempts.

Thomas’ ability to get to the free-throw line is beneficial to the Celtics in multiple ways.  First and foremost, it allows him to notch easy points.  Secondly, it helps to get the C’s into the bonus earlier, which allows his teammates to reap the benefits with more free throws as well.

Look for Thomas to put the pressure on Detroit’s defense again tonight by attacking the rim.  It worked during the first two games, and there’s no reason to believe that will change tonight.

The Celtics shouldn’t need a reminder that they cannot allow an opponent to find confidence in an area it has struggled in.  Boston just lost to the Lakers and Nets – who have combined to win just 18 games this season - for that exact reason.  A loss to the Pistons on Dec. 16 occurred for similar reasons.

Detroit is the third-worst shooting team in the league, having made just 42.7 percent of its shots this season.  The Pistons also rank 22nd in the league in 3-point percentage at 33.6 percent.  You sure wouldn’t have known about those averages had you watched that Dec. 16 game.  Detroit made 48.7 percent of its field goals and 52.4 percent of its 3s.  Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 31 points, and Reggie Jackson added in 23.

Boston allowed inconsistent shooters to find confidence and a rhythm that night.  This time around, it must stop them from doing the same.

Everyone knows that the Celtics are deep with talent.  The Pistons?  Yeah.  Not so much.

Detroit’s top reserve is probably rookie swingman Stanley Johnson, who is averaging just 8.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per game this season.  Steve Blake and Brandon Jennings are also on the bench, but Blake is no longer a difference maker at age 35 and Jennings is fresh off of his return from a torn Achilles.

As a result of this lack of depth, Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy relies heavily upon his starting five.  All five starters average at least 27.5 minutes of action a night, and four of them average at least 31.1 minutes.

But they don’t play 48 minutes, which means the C’s will have opportunities to take advantage of Detroit’s second unit.  Boston’s bench, led by guys like Olynyk or Sullinger, as well as Smart, should play with success tonight.

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Watch It! - Pistons at Celtics

The first two games between the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics resulted in entertaining duels at point guard between Reggie Jackson and Isaiah Thomas.

Now the Pistons have another dangerous guard to throw into the equation.

Brandon Jennings has gradually been getting up to speed for the Pistons, who try to end a three-game road slide Wednesday night against a Celtics team struggling at home.

This contest features two of the leaders in drives per game, with Jackson averaging an NBA-best 12.0 and Thomas fourth at 11.3.

These teams split two meetings last month, with Detroit (19-16) winning 119-116 on Dec. 16 despite Boston holding a 28-16 edge in drives. Thomas had a team-high 15 and scored a season-best 38 while Jackson had seven drives and scored 23.

The Celtics (19-15) won 99-93 on Dec. 26 even though the Pistons held a 24-20 edge in drives, with Jackson recording 12 and Thomas 10.

Perhaps the production of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has been more critical to the outcome. He scored a season-high 31 in the Pistons' win but was held to six in their defeat.

Boston is concerned about defending Jackson and Caldwell-Pope.

"Those guys off the pick-and-roll, Reggie Jackson, Caldwell-Pope, all those guys making plays," Celtics center Kelly Olynyk said. "You've got to make sure that you pull in and help each other."

Slowing down those players could be even more difficult because Boston guard Avery Bradley is expected to miss a second straight game with a left hip contusion. The other issue is that Jennings is back and rounding into form.

The veteran guard has played four times since returning from rupturing his left Achilles last January. He had season highs of 17 points and six assists in 18 minutes in Monday's 115-89 rout of Orlando.

"He continuously pushed the pace, which might be something that most people probably wouldn't look for with that injury that he came off of," Jackson said. "He really was a floor general out there."

Coach Stan Van Gundy now says he's working with the idea of playing Jackson and Jennings together at times.

Jackson is 4-0 in his career at Boston, a city he is familiar with from his career at Boston College.

The Celtics are known for pushing the pace, averaging 100.8 possessions per 48 minutes to lead the Eastern Conference.

Detroit's Andre Drummond posted his league-best 30th double-double Monday with 17 points and 12 rebounds. He is averaging 19.0 and 17.1 over a nine-game streak of double-doubles against Boston.

"Obviously you just have to be alert to guys of that size and that ability to block shots and try to move them around as much as you can, it's easier said than done," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. "And he poses a huge problem on the other end obviously with his deep post-ups and offensive rebounding."

Boston won 103-94 at Brooklyn on Monday behind Jae Crowder's 25 points and Thomas' 19.

Now the Celtics hope to avoid a second three-game home slide. They have dropped five of seven in Boston while Detroit has lost 11 of 15 on the road.

20160106‑DETBOS