Tobias Harris scored six of Detroit’s final eight points to lift the Pistons past the Celtics in a back-and-forth showdown between the East’s top two teams.
Tobias Harris delivered the clutch baskets to help the Detroit Pistons edge the Boston Celtics, 104-103, on Tuesday, January 20 (PH time), securing their fourth-straight win in the battle between the top two Eastern Conference teams.
Harris scored six of Detroit’s final eight points and finished with a team-high 25 points in a contest defined by 14 ties and nine lead changes.
The veteran answered a Jaylen Brown layup with a clutch three-pointer, giving the Pistons a 99-97 lead with under three minutes remaining.
He then added a critical trey to extend Detroit’s advantage to 104-99 with 1:37 left.
Boston fought until the final second, with Brown scoring back-to-back baskets and nearly snatching the win after Cade Cunningham and Harris missed late three-point attempts.
In the game’s final possession, Brown’s fall-away jumper rattled off the rim as Detroit held on for the narrow victory.
Cunningham, making his first All-Star starter appearance, struggled from the field, shooting just 4-of-17, but contributed 14 assists.
Jalen Duren added 18 points, while Duncan Robinson chipped in 15 points, including five triples, as the Pistons improved to 31-10.
For Boston, Brown finished with 32 points in the losing effort, while Payton Pritchard had 17 and Sam Hauser 16.
The Celtics now fall to 27-15.
Up next, the Pistons face the New Orleans Pelicans (10-25), while the Celtics return home to host the Indiana Pacers (10-34).
—
Pao Ambat earned his journalism degree from Cavite State University in 2022.
Passionate about sports from a young age, he primarily covers the NBA for One Sports, while also assisting in reporting on the PVL, PBA, UAAP, and other leagues.