| Detroit Free Press
Detroit Pistons Saddiq Bey on career night against Boston Celtics
Detroit Pistons rookie Saddiq Bey speaks to the media on February 12, 2021, after his first 30-point NBA performance led to a victory against the Boston Celtics.
Detroit Pistons
On the second consecutive night against a candidate for the Eastern Conference, the Pistons needed a ride on Friday.
Novice winger Saddiq Bey was up to the occasion – and more so. He scored 30 points, the best of his career, 12 rebounds and set the franchise record of 3 points in a rookie game, going 7 to 7 deep to take the Pistons to 108-102 upset with the Boston Celtics.
Delon Wright continued his series of good performances with 22 points, seven assists and six rebounds. He has at least 22 points and seven assists in three of his last four games. The Pistons improved to 3-1 overall when Wright scores at least 20 points.
Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 33 points, and Jaylen Brown added 27.
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Saddiq Bey has a historic filming night
Bey had snippets this season when he looked like the best sniper on the list. On Thursday, he was certainly that. And more
Bey couldn’t go wrong, for simplicity. He posted Grant Williams in the middle of the second half, scored a foul and completed the e-1. The move seemed to energize him, as he made three attempts at 3 points before the break. In the second and third quarters, he scored 5 out of 5 out of 3 and made seven of his eight field attempts.
Not everything was 3 points, too. He backed Williams from the 3-point line to the edge in the first quarter for a tray and scored a foul on Jaylen Brown while putting him up at the end of the second quarter. Converting looks within the arc has been a process for Bey this season, but he has not shied away from being physical close to the edge; it was worth it several times against the Celtics.
Coach Dwane Casey put Bey back in the game with 2:10 in the final quarter, with the Pistons gaining a two-point advantage after leading by double digits at the start of the quarter. On the cue, Bey hit the 3-point game with 38.7 seconds remaining.
Friday was a career night for Bey, but overall it was a good week for the rookie. He scored 15 during Detroit’s victory against Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, hitting all six strokes, including three out of 3 points. All 15 came in the fourth quarter. After a strong start to the season, Bey cooled in mid-January. It looks like he found his rhythm again.
Injuries force more experimentation in the center
The Pistons were without Mason Plumlee (right elbow bursitis) and Jahlil Okafor (left knee surgery) on Thursday against the Indiana Pacers and their lack of size hurt them by losing 17 points. Casey said the Pistons would trust Sekou Doumbouya as a small ball center until Plumlee returned.
But Doumbouya left on Friday with a concussion. Isaiah Stewart recorded his second career start, but made up for it less than three minutes after receiving his second foul. Jerami Grant, who played as a pivot before joining the Pistons, made his debut in the franchise at the beginning of the second quarter.
Griffin, who played in two consecutive matches for the first time since 2019, also played for extended minutes at the center. It is not clear whether Plumlee or Doumbouya will return in time for Sunday’s game against New Orleans Pelicans.
Pistons remain hot vs. good teams
Those who have not watched the Pistons up close this season may be surprised to learn that their seven wins have come this season.
The list – the Celtics, Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers, Nets and the Celtics, again.
Even with a complete defeat on Thursday, the last seven days may have been Detroit’s best of the season. They took a healthy Lakers team to two overtime on Saturday, defeated the Nets (albeit without Kevin Durant) at home on Tuesday and decisively defeated the Celtics on Friday. The Pistons are catching up, as their difficult schedule is set to slow.
Please contact Omari Sankofa II at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @omarisankofa. TRead more about Detroit Pistons and subscribe to our Pistons newsletter.