The NBA’s 82-game common season is commonly known as a marathon. Groups should tempo themselves with the intention to keep recent, keep away from damage, and never succumb to the highs and lows of wins and losses. However what if each mile is a 100-meter dash? At the least that’s how briskly everyone else is operating it at on that specific night time when the Celtics are on the town. What if each night time is the opposing group’s Tremendous Bowl towards the defending champs? What if everyone else makes use of you because the measuring stick? Beat Boston and possibly, “yeah, we’re able to contend for a Larry O’Brien trophy.”
On an evening when the Celtics got here into Detroit on a six-game profitable streak with the Pistons on a seven-game run of their very own, a 117-97 blowout loss humbled the 2024 NBA champions, however that’s been par for the course all yr.
“I believed it was nice,” head coach Joe Mazzulla mentioned of getting each group’s finest shot each night time. “I don’t assume it essentially takes a toll. I feel it presents a possibility… It’s not as a lot of a toll as it’s a accountability. It’s a praise. You must be a to execute on that, you’ve obtained to ship on that on a regular basis.”
After profitable in Toronto the night time earlier than and lacking Jaylen Brown (thigh contusion) and Luke Kornet (private causes), final night time was not a type of occasions. Even a sizzling taking pictures night time from behind the arc (21-of-49) couldn’t overcome 17 sloppy turnovers that become 24 factors and a 62-20 margin within the paint.
That’s not to remove from the Pistons. That was not the group that the Celtics had beat thrice already this season, together with a 24-point drubbing at TD Backyard in December. They’re nasty defensively and with younger studs like Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren coming in to bloom, Detroit isn’t only a group that Boston ought to fear about within the common season, however a formidable foe come playoff time and undoubtedly within the years to return.
However that’s additionally the lifetime of a defending champ and one which the Celtics totally embrace.
“Over current years, we’ve gotten everyone’s actually good shot. Now, on a nightly foundation, we get everyone’s finest shot. We’re the usual,” Jayson Tatum mentioned after scoring 27 factors within the dropping effort. “Any champion in NBA historical past, the following yr, they’re the usual. Guys try to get what they’ve. There’s a whole lot of accountability with that.”
Kristaps Porzingis when requested concerning the variations between final season and this one for the Celtics:
“We now have to hunt once more. We wish to win one other championship and we’ve got to be searching once more. However the season is lengthy. We’re working in the direction of one thing. We wish to peak on the… pic.twitter.com/zknYQdC0Al
— Bobby Krivitsky (@BobbyKrivitsky) February 27, 2025
The Celtics now return to Boston for a seven-game homestand the place they’ll host a assassin’s row of groups that wish to knock them off their pedestal. On Friday, the Cavaliers come into city seeking to even their season collection. The Nuggets, Lakers, and Thunder go to the parquet from out west, too. With 20+ video games remaining, the league is prepared for his or her weigh-in.
So, how do you react because the hunted?
“We now have to hunt once more. We wish to win one other championship and we’ve got to be searching once more,” Kristaps Porzingis mentioned. “The season is lengthy. We’re working in the direction of one thing. We wish to peak on the proper second.”
