Gordon goes off, Stuckey shines: Pistons 98, Celtics 88

Welcome to a belated recap of the Detroit Pistons amazing, shocking, stunning, surprising, alarming, orgasmic, uh-oh, awesome 98-88 victory against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday. I didn't get to see the game as I was busy getting my ass handed to me at Trivia Night, but I did take the time to collect reactions from around the Interwebs. I read the recaps so you don't have to.

Unless they sound interesting, then you should totally click the links and read more.

Commence with links!

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Dan Feldman examines how Rodney Stuckey serves as the developing Brandon Knight's "safety net.":

Stuckey has a tough job this season, but it’s fair to question why he hasn’t ever played at a high level on both offense and defense for a sustained stretch. I’m not sure whether he’s missing the physical or mental stamina to do it, but becoming a consistent two-way player is the next step in his growth.

Detroit 98, Boston 88: Pistons' Ben Gordon fuels stunning upset | Detroit Free Press | freep.com

Looks like Vince Ellis is busy reading Detroit Bad Boys:

The Pistons are doing a horrible job of setting up that lottery pick for the June NBA draft.

Rapid Reaction: Pistons 98, Celtics 88 - Boston Celtics Blog - ESPN Boston
"Not the way the Celtics wanted to wrap up the home portion of their pre-All-Star schedule. Celtics not named Rondo were a mere 19-of-50 (38 percent) from the floor overall. What's more, the Celtics missed a whopping 13 free throws (19-of-32). Boston was sloppy all night, but especially in the fourth quarter. Now it must collect itself with the second half of a back-to-back looming Thursday night in Chicago to kick off a five-game road trip."

More links after the jump.

Focused Pistons rebound after disappointing loss to beat Celtics on road | MLive.com

"Rodney Stuckey led the Pistons with 25 points – three short of his season high – Greg Monroe and Ben Gordon added 22 apiece and Tayshaun Prince scored 10.

Gordon provided the offensive spark in the fourth quarter, when he scored 12 points. He hit back-to-back 3-pointers that gave the Pistons an 87-76 lead with 7:52 remaining and after they hiked the lead to 93-80 on a fast break layup by Stuckey with 4:39 left, the Celtics never recovered."

Something amiss - The Boston Globe

"Kevin Garnett might not be having an All-Star season. But the Celtics’ 98-88 loss to Detroit last night at TD Garden provided a strong indication of how much the team relies on Garnett’s defending and rebounding."

Ben Gordon heats up as Pistons top Celtics | The Detroit News | detroitnews.com

Is Gordon pining for more minutes?:

Gordon had been battling foul trouble and the officials but looked like he was back with the Bulls during his memorable playoff series three springs ago. He hit two deep 3-pointers in the fourth, the second giving the Pistons a six-point lead. "That's something I've been doing for the large part of my career," Gordon said. "Tonight Coach trusted me, allowed me to play more and it was good for us. I knocked down shots I could make."

CelticsBlog - For Boston Celtics Fans
"Consider this a cautionary tale for those pining for the rebuilding to begin in the post Big 3 era. Kevin Garnett was out and Pierce and Allen were a combined oh-fer-almost-everything (ok, Pierce hit a few shots and had some assists, but it wasn't exactly Truthiness tonight)."

Photo Gallery | Comcast SportsNet - CSNNE.com

Former Pistons beat writer A. Sherrod Blakley looks at what it means for Boston going forward:

With the loss, the Celtics don't have any time to dwell on yet another disappointing performance, not with their road trip kicking off Thursday night against the best team in the East, the Chicago Bulls.