Top 5 Plays from the Celtics-Pistons Game
From Al Horford's putback slam to Josh Richardson's emphatic block, the Marcus Smart-Robert Williams connection being in full effect, and a pair of thunderous dunks by Jayson Tatum, these are the top five plays from Friday's game between the Celtics and Pistons.
The Celtics' Elder Statesman Rattles the Rim
No one pays attention to, let alone puts a body on Al Horford, and that results in the Celtics' elder statesman, now in his 15th season, cleaning up the miss after Dennis Schroder couldn't get the layup to go.
Josh Richardson Thwarts Frank Jackson
Josh Richardson plays excellent defense on Frank Jackson throughout this possession, staying with him on the drive, bumping him off his spot, and then emphatically swatting his shot.
Marcus Smart Delivers a Dime, Robert Williams Takes Care of the Rest
Robert Williams and Marcus Smart do a great job of selling this, as the former comes up, acting like he's expecting the ball and not getting it has forced the Celtics to improvise.
Williams then turns like he's going to screen for Jaylen Brown, but he instead dives to the rim, and Smart throws a long-distance dime to him for the alley-oop.
Jayson Tatum's Highlight-Reel Jams Part I
After Marcus Smart flashes middle and doesn't get the ball, rather than staying put, he keeps going, clearing out and pulling Saddiq Bey with him. That opens a lane for Tatum, who explodes to the rim and then elevates for a thunderous throwdown.
The Saga Continues
Tatum builds ahead of steam before getting the ball in transition, and when Dennis Schroder passes to him, he has a long runway in front of him. By the time he takes off, there's not much either Detroit defender down low can do, and the result is another highlight-reel jam by Tatum.