Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond can’t stop Pistons from matching NBA’s longest active losing streak

Boston Celtics 109, Detroit Pistons 102 (OT)

Andre Drummond – A

Drummond came to play. The only players since at east 1985-86 to match his stat line – 27 points, 14 rebounds, five blocks and four steals – are Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson and Pervis Ellison.

Drummond’s dunks (and dunk attempts) were ferocious, and he attacked the glass with the same tenacity. His rejection of Jeff Green to end regulation was particularly emphatic.

Curiously, Drummond intentionally fouled Jared Sullinger with the Celtics up five and less than a second remaining. Sullinger made both free throws – and Boston, five-point favorites, covered the point spread.

Greg Monroe – A

Monroe scored 29 points, his most since the 2012-13 season, by going to work near the basket. He shot 8-for-11 in the restricted area, 1-for-6 outside it and 11-for-11 from the free-throw line.

With the Pistons down 11 in the fourth quarter, Monroe went on a personal 9-0 run to get Detroit in striking range in crunch time. He added one more basket, giving him 11 straight Pistons points, to help them get over the hump.

His efficiency while attracting the Celtics’ attention paid big dividends. It’s no coincidence the Pistons’ offensive rating was 105.8 with him on the court and 71.0 with him off it.

Caron Butler – B

Butler (3-for-9) wasn’t particularly sharp – except when he had to be. His huge 3-pointer with 15 seconds left in the fourth quarter sent the game to overtime.

Brandon Jennings – D

Jennings missed all 11 of his shots – 0-for-6 outside the arc and 0-for-5 inside it. But, somehow, the Pistons didn’t collapse with him in the game. His playmaking (12 assists and two turnovers) helped, and his defense was passable.

D.J. Augustin – F

Augustin missed all six of his shots, and his passing and defense don’t redeem him like Jennings’.

After the game, Stan Van Gundy was asked about his point guards combining to shoot 0-for-14.

“0-for-17,” seethed Van Gundy, who had no stat sheet with him to reference.

Think those misses bothered him?

Josh Smith – D

Smith’s lengthy pregame conversation with former Oak Hill teammate Rajon Rondo was probably the most productive part of his night. He shot 4-for-15 and had as many turnovers as assists (three). To be fair, he also defended and rebounded (11) pretty well.

But Smith’s fourth quarter – getting his shot blocked and picking up two fouls in his first two minutes of action to foul out – leaves a sour taste. He just didn’t look ready to compete at that point

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – B

Caldwell-Pope scored 15 points on 6-of-15 shooting and 3-of-8 3-point shooting – raising the Pistons’ efficiency in both categories.

Cartier Martin – B+

Martin did his job, making 2-of-3 3-pointers in 12 minutes. It’s coming in fits, but Martin appears to be working his way into the rotation.

Jonas Jerebko – C-

Jerebko played just four minutes and didn’t make much of an impact. This was his shortest outing since a DNP-CD against the Bulls on Nov. 10.

Stan Van Gundy – B

Van Gundy is clearly trying to walk the line of motivating his players without discouraging them.

He lit into them during a stoppage late in regulation, and he didn’t look happy repeatedly calling timeouts as the Celtics scored too easily in overtime. But after the game, he got over his obvious frustration enough to praise Detroit’s effort.

Van Gundy gave Monroe and Drummond 21 minutes without Smith. That duo had played just 39 minutes all season with Smith clogging the frontcourt. Tonight, the Monroe-Drummond tandem worked (offensive rating: 128.4/defensive rating: 105.9/net rating: +22.5). But Van Gundy worried about their defensive viability going forward. Me? I’d take a chance on that offensive upside and hope they can develop better defensive chemistry.

On the plus side, I loved Van Gundy’s out-of-timeout call to free Butler for the game-tying 3-pointer.

The Pistons have now lost 10 straight. With the 76ers’ win, Detroit is tied with Charlotte for the NBA’s longest losing streak. Van Gundy’s challenge ahead is immense.