A nearly unstoppable performance from Isaiah Thomas carried the Boston Celtics to a crucial win, a 113-103 triumph over the Detroit Pistons that moved the club a step closer to earning a playoff berth.
Thomas poured in a season-best 34 points in 30 minutes off the bench to almost single-handedly keep the Celtics inside the top eight spots in the Eastern Conference. With the win, Boston stretched its lead over Miami to one game in the battle for the No. 8 seed with just four remaining in the regular season.
Jae Crowder added 17 points and Brandon Bass chipped in 16 in the Celtics' fourth victory in five games, which in turn officially eliminated the Pistons from postseason consideration.
Boston prevailed despite a pair of big efforts from two Detroit starters, with Andre Drummond finishing with 22 points and 14 rebounds and Reggie Jackson dishing out 15 assists to go along with 21 points. The Pistons also received 19 points and 10 boards out of Greg Monroe in defeat.
[SportsNetwork.com]
