Detroit — Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum knocked down a 3-pointer in the middle of the fourth quarter and turned around to blow a kiss to a few heckling Pistons fans sitting courtside.
If that wasn’t a blatant message, Tatum drilled a 3-pointer in front of the Pistons bench on Boston’s next possession to reach 40 points. After the shot went through the net, Tatum yelled towards Detroit’s bench.
The Celtics were without Jaylen Brown in Saturday’s game against the Pistons due to a left knee contusion, but they still had one of the most prolific scorers in the NBA in their lineup.
Tatum, who scored 31 against the Pistons on Wednesday, finished with 43 points, 10 rebounds and three assists to lead Boston to a 117-108 win over Detroit. He was one of three Celtics who played over 40 minutes.
The Pistons were much more competitive in Saturday’s loss but were again shorthanded without Cade Cunningham, who will miss the next three games due to left shin soreness. Detroit was also without Alec Burks, who scored 17 against his former team in Friday’s loss to the New York Knicks.
BOX SCORE: Celtics 117, Pistons 108
Here are a few more observations from Saturday’s loss to the Celtics:
Bogdanovic heats up: Bojan Bogdanovic led the Pistons with 28 points, six rebounds and four assists. He scored 13 of those points in the second quarter as he knocked down all three of his shots and had five trips to the free-throw line in that span.
Ivey’s career night: Rookie guard Jaden Ivey scored a career-high 26 on Saturday, to go along with four rebounds and three assists. The former Purdue star was comfortable from the 3-point line with a career-best four triples. Ivey’s 26 points is tied for the eighth-most by a rookie this season.
Ivey currently leads all rookies with 12 double-digit scoring games this season and is tied with Grant Hill for the second-most games with 10 points or more through 13 career games in franchise history. Isiah Thomas holds the record with 13.
Despite the career night, Ivey wasn’t satisfied with his performance due to his four turnovers.
“I feel like I played a very bad game as far as the end of the game, just turning the ball over,” Ivey said after the game. “Just some mistakes offensively. Obviously the ball went in but as far as turning over the ball, I feel like I let my teammates down. It’s something I take pride in and I gotta control that better next game.”
Blake Griffin’s return: Former Pistons star Blake Griffin returned to Little Caesars Arena for the first time as a member of the Celtics. The 13-year veteran was booed seemingly every time he touched the basketball. A wave of cheers rung out every time he missed. Griffin, a former dunk contest champion, showed some humor to Pistons fans when he had a wide open lane to the basket and appeared as if he was going to dunk. Instead, he gently dropped the ball inside the hoop. Griffin ran back down the court mimicking the move with his hands. Griffin finished with seven points and six rebounds.
Pistons go big: Marvin Bagley and Jalen Duren played in the same lineup from the final two minutes of the first quarter until the 6:17 mark of the second. It helped from a rebounding standpoint as Bagley was able to snag an offensive rebound, which led to a corner 3-pointer by Hamidou Diallo. However, the lineup wasn’t ideal for spacing. Both alternated the power forward and center spots. Bagley attempted a 3-pointer from the corner on one occasion, but came up short. Duren and Bagley did hook up for a transition scoring opportunity midway through the second quarter. Pistons coach Dwane Casey returned to the lineup late in the third quarter. Both Duren and Bagley provided a defensive boost to the Pistons. Bagley blocked a pair of shots and Duren commanded the boards. Duren totaled two points and 11 rebounds. Bagley had four points and four rebounds in his season debut. It’ll be interesting to see if the big lineup becomes routine in the Pistons’ rotation, or if Stewart will play alongside either center sometime down the line.
Fan cashes in at the bank: At the end of the first quarter, a Pistons fan was invited to the court to make a series of shots from different areas of the floor before earning the opportunity to win $10,000, but only if he nailed a shot from half-court. The fan was already feeling it from making his 3-point shot, so he accepted the challenge to become $10,000 richer. After a running start, the fan launched his half-court attempt and held his follow-through. The shot banked in off the glass and the fan received a warm reception from the fans.
mcurtis@detroitnews.comTwitter: @MikeACurtis2