The Boston Celtics return to the road Monday night to wrap up their regular-season series against the Detroit Pistons in prime time as the NBA celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The two teams’ first three games totaled 16 points, with the Pistons leading 2-1 in the series. The Celtics hope to tie the score in this year’s series and extend their winning streak to three games.
Just like the other three games, the game came down to the wire and the Celtics needed to fight back in the second half by improving their three-point shooting. Jaylen Brown, who was named an All-Star starter for the first time in his career, led the Celtics until the final minute before falling behind on the final shot of the game and losing by one point.
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A quick look back at Boston’s third loss of the season to the Pistons, 104-103.
Final score: Detroit Pistons 104, Boston Celtics 103
Game points:
Three point shot: Boston held their own in this game with their 3-point shooting, shooting 32% from 3-point range and two more than Detroit. However, the Pistons relied on long-range shots in the fourth quarter, including Tobias Harris’s corner 3-pointer in the final minutes to give the Pistons the lead.
Key points in paint: Led by young and talented center Jalen Duren, the Pistons dominated the paint against Boston and outscored Boston 48-32. Duren scored 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting to give the team a low-post advantage, with Tobias Harris and Isaiah Stewart also adding big leads.
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Lack of supporting characters: While four of the Celtics’ starters scored in double figures on the night, the bench contributed a combined 24 of the team’s 103 points on the night. Jaylen Brown took 28 shots and scored 32 points and 11 rebounds. No other player on Boston scored 20 points, the closest being Payton Pritchard (17 points) and Sam Hauser (18 points), who combined for seven 3-pointers. Boston will have a hard time winning big games when no one on the team reaches the 20-point benchmark behind Jaylen Brown.
Game Highlights: Pistons force Jaylen Brown into tough jumper to seal victory
What’s next: vs. Indiana Pacers, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 7:30 p.m. ET
January 12, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta (88) shoots and Indiana Pacers guard/forward Aaron Nesmith (23) defends during the second half at Gambridge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
The Celtics end another season series on Wednesday at home against the struggling Indiana Pacers. Boston leads the series 2-1, with Indiana winning the last game by 2 points on January 12. This game could be another big night for Jaylen Brown, as he’s averaging over 30 points in two games against the Pacers. Indiana is a competitive team, but the team is also struggling with the loss of core player Tyrese Haliburton, who missed the entire season with a torn Achilles tendon.
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics stumble on final shot, lose to Pistons in series finale
