Career night for Sam Hauser as Celtics tame Pistons 128-112
The Boston Celtics grabbed an easy victory against the Detroit Pistons Wednesday night, winning 128 to 112. At one point the home team led by as much as many as 24 in a game that really highlighted Boston’s star power and depth.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown once again had strong outings, leading the way for the Celts. Brown finished with 30 points, seven rebounds, and three assists, and was a major engine for Boston early on. Tatum, meanwhile, exploded in the second half, dropping 31 points overall along with five assists. A career night for Sam Hauser punctuated a stellar bench performance for the Celtics.
It was a wire to wire win for Boston, with a tough Denver team coming to town on Friday. Here’s three things you may have missed from the Celtics win.
Al Horford's still got it
Father Time be damned, 36-year old Al Horford remains a critical piece for the Boston Celtics. Head coach Joe Mazzulla has his team turning up the heat on offense this season, and the oldest player on the roster seems unbothered. Really on either end of the floor against Detroit, Al Horford was making his presence felt.
Brogdon with the steal, quickly rewards Horford for running the floor pic.twitter.com/4kq47FmaUI
— Celtics Lab Podcast (@CelticsLab) November 10, 2022
Horford finished the game with 13 points, six rebounds, and two assists. But as is often the case with the former Florida Gator, Horford’s impact transcended the traditional box score stats. His persistence on defense allowed Boston to succeed with smaller line ups, and he was a critical part of an offense that logged 31 assists on the night.
Hitting your threes makes a big difference
Boston eventually pulled away in this one, but cold shooting from distance made it hard to initially put the Pistons to bed. At one point the Celtics were a pedestrian 6/20 from deep.
Outside shooting appears to be an important bread and butter for this Celtics squad. Coming into Wednesday’s game Boston ranked second in three point attempts in the NBA and sixth in three point percentage. High-volume distance shooting can be a tricky give and take, though.
In the early goings really did look as if Boston would pay for poor shooting, but in the second half shots began to fall in a big way. The Celts ended the night xx from deep, including a 5/11 night from Jayson Tatum and a 6/12 night from Sam Hauser.
Sam Hauser can really hoop
One of the highlights of the game was Sam Hauser’s memorable night. The 24-year old dropped 24 points on 9/15 shooting, the best mark of his career. He ended the game with 32 minutes, and earned every one of them.
Malcolm Brogdon left the game at halftime with hamstring tightness, but Boston didn’t miss a beat. Hauser’s hot shooting helped alleviate any lags in production, but in reality, the entire Boston bench stepped up big in this one. At least ten Celtics players scored a bucket and ten contributed at least one assist.
Tonight Hauser reminded us how valuable of a contributor he can be, but the club’s entire depth chart had a memorable night. Never mind Detroit’s meager defense, Wednesday night was an exciting peek at what Boston’s ceiling might look like.
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