The Detroit Pistons are rewriting the script this season-and Monday night in Boston was another bold chapter. With a 112-105 win over the Celtics, the Pistons not only picked up their 21st victory of the season, but they also snapped a long-standing drought at TD Garden, earning their first win in Boston since February 2022. That’s not just a win-it’s a statement.
This one had a little extra edge, too. Just a few weeks ago, Detroit let a double-digit lead slip away against these same Celtics, ending a 13-game win streak in frustrating fashion. Monday night felt like payback-and the Pistons made sure it counted.
From the opening tip, this was a battle between two of the East’s top teams, and it played out exactly that way. Seven ties.
Fifteen lead changes. But when it mattered most, Detroit seized control-outscoring Boston by 11 in the fourth quarter to close it out.
This wasn’t about one hot hand or a lucky bounce. It was a total team effort, and it showed on both ends of the floor.
One of the biggest adjustments? Perimeter defense.
In the last meeting, Boston torched Detroit from deep-20 made threes at a 47% clip. That didn’t happen this time.
The Pistons locked in defensively, rotating quicker, closing out harder, and making life miserable for Boston’s shooters. The result?
Just 26% from beyond the arc for the Celtics. That’s a massive swing, and it was the backbone of Detroit’s fourth straight win.
Then there’s Cade Cunningham. The Pistons’ franchise cornerstone continues to elevate his game-and his team-when the lights are brightest.
Cunningham dropped 32 points and 10 assists, but it was his poise in the fourth quarter that sealed the deal. Nine of his points came in the final period, including a clutch three and a series of mid-range daggers that kept the Celtics at bay.
The highlight? A silky spin move and step-back jumper over Derrick White that had the TD Garden crowd holding its breath. That’s the kind of shot you expect from a star who embraces the moment-and Cunningham made it clear postgame that he lives for it.
“I love this game. I love to play, I love being out there, I love having the ball in my hands,” Cunningham told Peacock’s Austin Rivers.
“There's nothing better than playing in a big-time environment in a big-time game and having to make plays. I just relish in the moment, take my time, trust my work, trust my faith, and everything else will take care of itself.”
That mindset is contagious-and Detroit’s bench is feeding off it.
The Pistons’ second unit was a difference-maker, outscoring Boston’s bench 47-14 overall, including a dominant 27-5 edge in the second half. That kind of depth doesn’t just give your starters a breather-it wins games.
Caris LeVert chipped in 13 points in just 19 minutes, while Jaden Ivey added 10 in his new bench role. But it was Javonte Green who delivered one of the game’s biggest momentum plays-a steal and breakaway dunk over White that sent a clear message: Detroit wasn’t going anywhere.
Cunningham made sure to give the bench its flowers afterward.
“We have starters up and down the rosters. We have stars all through the team who star in their roles,” he said.
“Guys who came in and do their jobs better than anybody in the league. It's fun to play with people who love their job and come in giving their all every time.
That's how we came in and got a win.”
This isn’t the same Pistons team we’ve seen in recent years. They’re deeper.
They’re tougher. And they’re learning how to close.
Monday’s win in Boston wasn’t just about revenge-it was about growth, execution, and belief.
Detroit is no longer a team on the rise. They’re here. And the rest of the East better start paying attention.