The Boston Celtics are surging in the East, fast closing the gap on the top-seeded Detroit Pistons. With two wins in two games and bolstered by the return of superstar Jayson Tatum, the Celtics are set to make a push to edge the Pistons in the standings.
In the meantime, it hasn’t been an ideal run for the Pistons, who have lost four consecutive games and are now just 6-4 in their last 10.
Detroit Pistons Head Coach J.B. Bickerstaff Not Concerned About Boston Celtics
Speaking to reporters in the aftermath of the 121-110 loss to the Miami Heat, Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was asked about the Celtics hot on their heels to make a beeline for the No. 1 seed.
“It’s the NBA, right? And you look at the season, it’s long,” Bickerstaff said. “Everybody goes through difficult times or goes through a little bit of a rut. And we just found ours right now. And again, we’ve got plenty of time left to do what we got to do. Boston, obviously, is a good team. But we’re not concerned about Boston.”
Bickerstaff was referring to the Pistons’ slow start against the Heat, which later proved to be the defining factor in their loss. Their last three games have seen the side commit costly mistakes on both ends of the floor. They are just 2.5 games up on the in-form Celtics for the top position in the East.
The Pistons have lost 4 games in a row.
They are now only 2.5 games up on the Celtics for 1st in the East. pic.twitter.com/tWAdoFgLvz
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) March 9, 2026
Also sharing his two cents was forward Tobias Harris. “Obviously, it’s probably our biggest dose of adversity all year,” Harris said. “We’ll be fine. Keep our head high and just on to the next.”
Erratic three-point shooting, inconsistent defense, and an over-reliance on star guard Cade Cunningham have seen the surprise contenders of the season falter in the recent stretch of games. With 19 games remaining in the season, the onus is on fixing the errors and making the postseason as the top seed.
As for the Celtics, their campaign has been impressive despite missing out on superstar forward Tatum for a major part of the season due to a torn Achilles tendon. Spearheaded by wing Jaylen Brown and the rest of the pieces punching above their weight, the Celtics are now in the running for a title.
Bickerstaff and the Pistons have a chance to get back to winning ways when they play the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on Tuesday. They later play two games at home, hosting the Philadelphia 76ers and the Memphis Grizzlies in a back-to-back on Thursday and Friday.
