The Detroit Pistons traveled to Boston without three of their big men, but rookie forward Saddiq Bey stepped up massively.
Bey scored 30 points, the most in his short career, sinking all seven of his three-point attempts Friday in a 108-102 victory over the Celtics at TD Garden.
Bey set a team rookie record for 3-pointers made in a match. He is only the fourth Pistons rookie to have scored 30 or more points in a competition in the past 35 years.
Bey also led the team with 12 rebounds, which was important as the Pistons missed back-to-back injured centers Mason Plumlee and Jahlil Okafor and forward Sekou Doumbouya in the second game.
The Pistons (7-19) are 2-1 against the Celtics (13-12) this season.
Detroit got off to a slow start as the Celtics took an early 12-2 lead. It looked like the Pistons would have an unlucky night when two of their three-shot attempts rattled out of the basket. Rookie center Isaiah Stewart also got two early errors, forcing the Pistons to go to their bench early.
They sent young veteran Josh Jackson, who gave them a defensive spark that allowed the Pistons to claw back. Jackson dropped eight points in his first 10 minutes by driving aggressively in the paint. He went 2-of-4 overall, but found his aggressive style of play rewarded with five trips to the free-throw line. He made four of his five free throw attempts and finished the evening with 14 runs, five rebounds, two blocks, and one steal.
Bey wasn’t the only player to create an offensive spark. For the fourth time this season, Delon Wright passed the 20-point threshold, all against some of the best teams in the league. Wright scored 22 runs after scoring just six in the Pistons’ loss to the Indiana Pacers the night before.
Wright also pulled six rebounds and gave seven assists. The veteran point guard was another player who proved disruptive to the Celtics, ending the night with one block and one steal.
Blake Griffin, who played on consecutive nights for the first time this season, was good for 12 points, six assists and four rebounds. Jerami Grant added 15 points and five plates.
The Pistons return to Little Caesars Arena on Sunday, where they will host the New Orleans Pelicans alongside Zion Williamson and former Detroit coach Stan Van Gundy.