Boston Rising: Glen Davis, Celtics Make Their Case

Sean CroweJan 5, 2008

The Boston Celtics handed the Detroit Pistons their first loss in 12 games last night.

In the process, the C's staked their claim as the best team in the NBA’s Eastern Conference—at least until March 5th, which is the next time we get treated to another battle between these two perfectly-matched NBA powerhouses.

The way the Celtics and Pistons play defense, they’re both prone to ugly, sometimes boring games.

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The Pistons and Spurs, for example, have played some of the most boring games in the history of the NBA.

But for some reason, Boston and Detroit get together and it just works.

They’re like two great musicians who, when they play together, make even better music.

Last night’s game featured a breakout performance by the much-maligned Celtics’ bench. Glen “Big Baby” Davis’ strong play inside and Tony Allen’s defense were crucial in the decisive fourth quarter.

On a night when Ray Allen didn’t play well and Kevin Garnett spent most of the game in foul trouble, the subs' contributions were critical to the outcome.

The Detroit bench, meanwhile, showed its weakness. While Jason Maxiell played a strong, physical game, the rest of their second unit was drastically outplayed by the Celtics reserves.

The Boston bench outscored the Detroit bench 39 to 23.

Davis had his NBA coming-out party, leading all scorers with 20 points—including 16 in the fourth quarter. Time and again, he was able to slide underneath the Pistons’ defense as they doubled Garnett and converged on a driving Paul Pierce.

Outside of Garnett, Davis is easily the Celtics best low-post player. He has the intensity and instincts required to clean up on the offensive boards—something Kendrick Perkins lacks.

Big Baby gives the Celtics a poor man’s Charles Barkley—a short, fat, energy guy who’s relentless underneath the basket.

At point guard, Chauncey Billups once again had his way with Rajon Rondo. Unfortunately for the Pistons, Billups got cold at the worst possible time.

Watching Chauncey airball a potential game-tying shot with 33 second left was surreal.

"Big Shot" Billups also showed uncharacteristic impatience as Tony Allen’s defense forced him into bad decisions.

Good thing Doc Rivers doesn’t listen to me—I’d have buried Tony Allen so deep on the bench that Leon Powe would have been sitting on his lap.

For once, a big game actually lived up to its billing.

Random Notes

— While Garnett had a non-Garnett like game due to foul trouble, his impact was still felt. When he was in, the Celtics outscored the Pistons by 23 points.

— Both teams played five guys off their bench, but the Celtics subs played more minutes (14 more), scored more points (16 more), collected more rebounds (nine more), and notched more assists (one more).

— The referees were horribly inconsistent. Hopefully they’ll get a better officiating crew when these two teams meet again in March.

— I was told by Detroit fans to keep an eye on Rodney Stuckey. I did. I wasn’t impressed. The Pistons’ offense suffered greatly when Billups was on the bench.

— The Celtics needed this game much more than the Pistons, but both teams came out with playoff intensity. It’s nice to have the rivalry back.

— Speaking of intensity, I’m not sure what Maxiell was trying to prove with his hard, taunting technical on Garnett. Aside from that, though, I was relatively impressed by the Pistons sixth-man.

— The Celtics’ next big test isn’t until January 31st, when Dallas makes its yearly trip to the fake Garden.

— The Pistons have a much tougher road ahead, playing back-to-back at Dallas and San Antonio. The Celtics may have a chance to build up a pretty decent lead in the race for home court in the playoffs.

— I can’t wait until these two teams play again.