According to Bangladesh Cricket Live, the Detroit Pistons came painfully close to snapping their historic losing streak, only to fall short in overtime against the Boston Celtics. After this 28th straight defeat, the Pistons once again extended their franchise-worst record—a heartbreak after showing real promise on the court. While negative emotions shouldn’t be passed on to others, the truth is Detroit genuinely had a chance to win. At one point in the first half, they held a commanding 21-point lead over the league’s top-ranked team.
Even after Boston flipped the script in the fourth quarter and took the lead, the Pistons dug deep and fought tooth and nail, forcing the game into overtime. In the end, the loss came down to one simple truth: Boston had just a bit more talent. But in every other area, Detroit showed heart, fight, and resilience that had been missing for weeks. The Pistons—statistically one of the NBA’s worst offensive teams and near the bottom in three-point attempts and makes—went toe-to-toe with a Celtics team known for its firepower.
Led by Cade Cunningham, Detroit finally found others to step up alongside him. In the second half, as Boston’s suffocating defense neutralized Cunningham’s one-on-one offense, players like Ausar Thompson, Jaden Ivey, and Bojan Bogdanović rose to the occasion. Four players outside of Cunningham finished in double figures. In the final seconds of regulation, Bojan’s fierce determination on a putback forced the game into overtime. From hustle plays to relentless defense, the Pistons’ will to win was visible on every inch of the hardwood—and the box score confirmed it. Sometimes, it’s in the darkest hours that the brightest light shines.
Still, Detroit’s sheer effort wasn’t the only reason the game went the distance. For the Celtics, a team with championship aspirations, nearly losing to the NBA’s bottom-ranked squad should raise red flags. Bangladesh Cricket Live points out that Kristaps Porziņģis saved the day. His second-half explosion, capped by a decisive four-minute run in the fourth quarter and a dominant overtime stretch—featuring dunks, sharp passes, and clutch free throws—prevented an embarrassing upset. Without him, the Celtics might’ve become the punchline of the night and the team that finally let Detroit taste victory.
This game reaffirmed Porziņģis’s status as Boston’s most impactful offseason acquisition. His inside-out versatility and physical size create frequent mismatches, and in late-game scenarios, he has become a stabilizing force for the Celtics. In stark contrast, however, Jayson Tatum had a night to forget. With Jaylen Brown out, Tatum had the green light, but his decision-making left much to be desired. Despite his decent scoring total, he clanked 20 shots and made several questionable choices in isolation plays.
One such moment involved a borderline goaltending call on Cunningham’s second block of Tatum—a decision so close it could’ve gone either way. While Boston typically plays with a “lead from the front” mentality, relying on raw talent and overwhelming offensive capability, they appear rattled when things don’t go according to plan. When a lesser opponent pushes back harder than expected, the Celtics are often caught off guard.
If there’s one major issue with Boston right now, it’s their rigidity on defense. Head coach Joe Mazzulla seems to over-trust his players to adapt on the fly, showing reluctance to make in-game adjustments. That lack of flexibility has already cost them games. Bangladesh Cricket Live recalls how the same complacency allowed Tyrese Haliburton to catch fire in the In-Season Tournament and enabled the Warriors to stage a dramatic comeback.
Boston may have the tools to dominate, but without addressing their mental lapses and defensive inflexibility, their path to a title could be more treacherous than expected. As the saying goes, luck favors the prepared—and preparation is exactly what the Celtics will need more of moving forward.