Morning Sports Update
Detroit’s Eastern Conference lead has dwindled while Boston now has Jayson Tatum back in the lineup.
Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff during a game against the Heat on March 8. AP Photo/Marta Lavandier
March 9, 2026 | 10:44 AM
3 minutes to read
Pistons coach comments on the Celtics: As the Celtics continue to gain momentum following the return of Jayson Tatum, attention (and added pressure) inevitably swings back to the conference-leading Pistons at a certain point.
That is especially true amid Detroit’s current four-game losing streak. Having been perched atop the Eastern Conference since Nov. 7, the Pistons’ lead has shrunk to just two-and-half games over the Celtics. Detroit head coach J.B. Bickerstaff drew attention for his postgame comments on Sunday following the team’s latest defeat, falling 121-110 to the Heat. Questioned about the Celtics, Bickerstaff kept things focused on his own team.
“It’s the NBA, right? You look at the season, it’s long. Everybody goes through difficult times or a little bit of a rut,” he explained. “We just found ours right now. And again, we’ve got plenty of time left to do that we’ve got to do.”
“Boston is obviously a good team, but we’re not concerned about Boston,” Bickerstaff added. “Our biggest concern is making sure that we’re doing what we need to do to go out and be as good as we possibly can. We’ve got plenty of time to figure it out, and we will.”
Inevitably, Bickerstaff’s assertion that Detroit is “not concerned about Boston” raised eyebrows, especially among Celtics fans. Still, the Detroit head coach’s point is a logical one (focusing only on getting his own team — which is still leading the conference — back in the win column).
The Pistons (45-18) will have a good chance to get a win on Tuesday against the Nets (16-47), though Brooklyn beat Detroit in their latest matchup on Saturday. As for the Celtics (43-21), the road gets steeper with a trip to San Antonio against the Spurs on Tuesday followed by another road test against the defending champion Thunder on Thursday.
Trivia: J.B. Bickerstaff first became an NBA head coach on an interim basis in 2015 after what Celtics legend was fired as head coach of the Houston Rockets?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: His No. 32 was retired by the Celtics.
Scores and schedules:
The Celtics defeated the Cavaliers 109-98 on Sunday. Boston will face the Spurs on Tuesday in San Antonio at 8 p.m.
Also from Sunday, the Bruins lost to the Penguins 5-4 in overtime. Up next, the Bruins will face the Kings at TD Garden on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
The Boston Fleet are away at the Vancouver Goldeneyes on Wednesday, with the puck set to drop at 10 p.m.
Boston Legacy FC makes its club debut in the NWSL opener on Saturday at Gillette Stadium. Defending champions Gotham FC will be in town for a 12:30 p.m. kickoff.
And on Sunday, the Revolution make their 2026 home debut, hosting FC Cincinnati at 2:30 p.m.
More from Boston.com:
Terrier madness: Boston University men’s basketball upset top-seeded Navy in the Patriot League conference semifinal on Sunday with a wild sequence at the end of regulation. The Terriers will face Lehigh in the conference tournament final on Wednesday with an automatic NCAA tournament spot on the line.
WHAT. A. FINISH.
CHANCE GLADDEN AT THE BUZZER SENDS @TERRIERMBB TO THE PATRIOT LEAGUE TITLE GAME.
This is March! pic.twitter.com/Dqf431OKow
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 8, 2026
Tatum’s return: The Celtics’ star totaled 12 points in the first quarter of Sunday’s win on his way to 20 over the course of the game.
12 FIRST QUARTER POINTS FOR JAYSON TATUM 🔥
This guy tore his achilles 300 days ago 😅 pic.twitter.com/yqfiGOKdE2
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 8, 2026
On this day: Thirty years ago, Ray Allen and UConn defeated Allen Iverson and Georgetown in a classic Big East Conference Tournament final.
Ray Allen and UConn defeated Allen Iverson and Georgetown on this date in 1996 to claim their first Big East title. pic.twitter.com/gXku1HMibM
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 9, 2020
Daily highlight: In the latest lesson from sports about never giving up, 36-year-old U.S. runner Nathan Martin (a high school track and cross-country coach) caught Kenya’s Michael Kimani Kamau at the line in the closest finish in Los Angeles Marathon history. Martin pulled off the stunning upset by 0.01 seconds.
Trivia answer: Kevin McHale
Hayden Bird is a sports staff writer for Boston.com, where he has worked since 2016. He covers all things sports in New England.
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