There were several plays Boston beat themselves on with late-game turnovers -- but in the NBA, when two good teams play, sometimes that's all it takes.

Ausar Thompson, 22, is arguably the best point-of-attack defender in the NBA and has developed a consistent midrange jumper, and his paint touches have become invaluable. Duncan Robinson is the ultimate floor spacer, is adept at shooting on the move from behind the arc and often uses his gravity to manipulate defenses.

The Pistons made their first big leap last season when they won 44 games, made the playoffs for the first time since 2019 and pushed the New York Knicks to six games in the first round. Instead of cashing in their chips over the summer to bring in a star and expedite their rebuild, they decided to operate in the margins.

The Detroit Pistons did something Friday night that’s happened only twice before in NBA history in a dominant win that had fans buzzing.

The Detroit Pistons have won five of their last six matchups, most recently defeating the Atlanta Hawks 142-115 at home last Friday. It was the team’s largest win of the season, and the bench scored a season-high 77 points in the win. 12 players scored at least 7 points, making the Pistons the third team in NBA history to accomplish that feat.

Javonte Green pulled off a poster dunk on Derrick White in the Pistons' matchup against the Celtics on Monday night.

The Los Angeles Lakers' game against the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday, Dec. 30, has been picked up by NBC Sports and Peacock.