Joe Mazzulla, Derrick White credit TD Garden crowd in Celtics win over Pistons

BOSTON — If you were paying attention in biology class, you should know that mutualism is a relationship between two organisms that benefits both of them. But instead of opening up a textbook to find that out, you could've just witnessed the TD Garden crowd during the Boston Celtics' thrilling 117-114 win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.

The C's showed grit and an abundance of effort while knocking off the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons. In return, the home fans showered the Celtics with thunderous cheers every time they made a hustle play. There were two moment in particular that embodied that symbiotic relationship for Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla.

"This is a credit to the city and the Garden," he said in his postgame presser. "You know, we're 9-8 and haven't probably played as well as we've wanted, but Baylor (Scheierman) jumps on the floor for a loose ball. Derrick (White) sprints the full length of the floor and gets a back tip, and the entire energy in the Garden shifts."

Celtics sophomore Baylor Scheierman hasn't had consistent minutes this season, so he played like every second on the court was his last on Wednesday. That includes the play Mazzulla referenced, as the sharp-shooter got on the floor early in the second quarter to battle for possession. He then somehow flipped the ball out while grounded to feed Celtics forward Josh Minott on the fly.

Although Minott couldn't get the transition bucket, Boston was fouled and Scheierman finished what he started with a fadeaway jumper. This sequence of events obviously didn't win the game, however, it goes into the crucial process of winning Mazzulla always emphasizes.

"I think the city, the Garden appreciates — regardless of record — that type of mindset, that type of effort," Mazzulla stated. "And that's what we brought."

One of the many winning plays Celtics guard Derrick White made against Detroit also occurred in the second quarter. Following a 3-point miss from Celtics wing Sam Hauser, the Pistons grabbed the rebound and immediately tried to convert on the other end.

Pistons guard Jaden Ivey quickly got it over halfcourt and into Boston territory, yet he failed to locate White running behind him the entire time. The Celtics veteran then knocked the ball free, rushed back the other way, and lobbed it up to Minott to complete an alley-oop layup.

Minott finished the job this time, cutting the Pistons' lead down to 3 points with under 5 minutes remaining in the second quarter. In response, the TD Garden crowd roared, and even Celtics owner Bill Chisholm was on his feet to applaud White's handiwork.

"They just appreciate great basketball," Mazzulla reiterated. "The result obviously matters, but we're in a place where they just appreciate the grit and the toughness, and I thought we exemplify that, and that's the standard that we have to try to work through every day."

White finished with a season-high 27 points to go along with 7 rebounds and 3 steals in the Celtics' biggest win of the young season. His impressive performance — which featured a massive 3-pointer to give Boston a 111-107 lead with 1:07 left in the fourth quarter — provided a welcomed reprieve from his current slump.

“I told somebody one game, ‘I might not make anything else, but I’ll make a big one,'" White said with a smile while discussing his recent shooting struggles.

After snapping Detroit's 13-game winning streak, Boston is now 10-8 and has won five of its last six contests. It's been an uphill battle for the undermanned C's, who are without star Jayson Tatum for the foreseeable future and center Neemias Queta for the moment, but if they can't count on anyone unconditionally, it's their home fans.

"Playing in the Garden is always a blessing," White said. "Especially in a game like (today). It's competitive, physical, hustle plays, little plays like that, the Garden lives for stuff like that. So, a lot of us made those big-time plays and the Garden got behind us and helped us get that 'W.'"

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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: The Celtics rallied behind the home crowd to defeat the red-hot Pistons