As the Celtics entered Little Caesars Arena for tonight’s Pistons’ clash, they aimed to extend their six-game winning streak. But they were not prepared for the brutal beatdown that was to follow. In a shocking upset, the Detroit franchise blew out the reigning champions by twenty points, ending their dominant run. Sure enough, the humiliating loss led to tensions in the Celtics’ camp and turns out, big man Kristaps Porzingis blamed himself for the unexpected outcome.
Well, he had an underwhelming performance tonight, finishing with only 11 points on an abysmal four of eleven shooting. Even though Porzingis got three steals, he was not able to protect the paint against Cade Cunningham and Co.’s fast paced offense. Taking accountability for the loss, the Center said postgame, “Just a bad game to be honest. Me especially. I was terrible tonight.”
Its understandable why KP was being so hard on himself as he has been in incredible form all season, averaging 19.2 points and nearly seven rebounds. That’s been a major reason behind the Celtics’ continued success. But he was not able to play up to his standard tonight. He continued, “They were hitting big shots after big shots and we didn’t rebound the ball well, especially myself. So, definitely have to take some accountability and be better.” Despite his 7’2 frame, he only grabbed two rebounds all night. And there might be a big reason behind it!
Kristaps Porzingis on the Celtics loss to the Pistons:
“I was terrible tonight. And we just had a really bad game. We fought. We fought…It felt for them like it was a really important game. They really wanted to win, and we battled as strong as we could, but we just fell… pic.twitter.com/hzcjLOJSA4
— Bobby Krivitsky (@BobbyKrivitsky) February 27, 2025
It is possible that Porzingis was not his 100% as he had just recovered from a sudden illness, which forced him to be a late scratch in last night’s Raptors clash. In his absence, Torrey Craig got his first start for the Cs. What’s concerning is that Porzingis has been dealing with this unknown illness for quite some time as he missed another game earlier this month because of a similar issue. Maybe, KP is still feeling the effects of the illness, which led to his disappointing performance tonight. But while Porzingis took the fall for the loss, credit also goes to the Pistons, who fought hard to take down the reigning champs.
Kristaps Porzingis claims the Pistons’ will to win led to Celtics’ loss after Joe Mazzulla surrenders midgame
While acknowledging his “terrible” performance, Porzingis also credited the Pistons for their incredible effort, “We just had a really bad game. We fought. We fought you know, but they were like physical. It felt for them like it was a really important game. They really wanted to win, and we battled as strong as we could, but we just fell short.” Yes, the Pistons surprised everyone by dominating from tip off and gaining an eleven-point lead heading into the final quarter. And when Joe Mazzulla realized that a comeback wasn’t possible, he emptied his bench with 6 minutes left on the clock. That proves how impressive the Pistons have been this season.
Nov 12, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) passes in the second half against the Miami Heat at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
It was only last year that they tied the record for the longest losing streak in league history with 28 straight losses. Sure enough, they finished as the bottom seed in the East with only fourteen wins. But with Cade Cunningham having a breakout season and other young stars stepping up, the Detroit franchise has gone from being the laughing stock to legitimate contenders. Including tonight’s Celtics beatdown, they have won their last eight games and currently hold the sixth seed in the East standings.
At this pace, they will finally end their five-year playoff drought. Moreover, the Pistons showed tonight that they can compete with the best teams in the league and should not be taken lightly. So, as much as the Celtics are to be blamed for this loss, Cade Cunningham and Co. deserve equal praise for protecting their home court. Do you agree?
The post Recovering From Unknown Illness, Kristaps Porzingis Takes The Fall As Celtics Surrender To Pistons in 42 Minutes appeared first on EssentiallySports.
