So, that was a lot of fun.
With a much-deserved break coming soon due to the All-Star weekend, it’s important the Detroit Pistons don’t lose sight of the playoff picture and use every game as a stepping stone toward the 6th seed. If tonight was any indication, this team is hitting their stride in the second half of the season.
The Pistons absolutely smacked the Bulls tonight. It was an incredibly embarrassing loss for Chicago Bulls and an incredibly impressive win for Detroit. This game featured a little bit of everything: offense, defense, and a few broken franchise records. If there was ever a game to watch on replay, this one is it. The Pistons beat the Bulls 132-92, but it wasn’t close in any of the 48 minutes.
Detroit’s defense looked fantastic in the first quarter. Their defensive rotations were on point, and all five starters looked locked-in. They forced Chicago into some difficult shots and were able to get out in transition for easy buckets. Cade found Ausar for some bully-ball drives to the rim as the Pistons started the game on a 16-6 run. They kept the pressure up for the whole quarter to take a 34-18 lead. Cunningham used his elite vision for six early assists.
The second quarter saw this game turn into an absolute whooping as Detroit outscored Chicago by 26 (!) points. There was one perfect moment to sum it up: after the Pistons were on a 21-0 run, Nikola Vucevic hit a floater after multiple scoreless minutes, and he ran back on defense with his fists in the air – Coby White, Patrick Williams, and the rest of the United Center joined him in cheer. Even George Blaha had a sarcastic call after Chicago hit their first three-pointer after 21 tries: “Chicago finally hits their first three…and the score is now 67-27.”
Detroit went into halftime with a 71-29 lead – their largest halftime lead in franchise history. The Pistons shot 57% from the field and 39% from deep. Ausar Thompson led Detroit with 14 points while shooting 6-for-6. Cade had 11 points, five rebounds, and seven assists. The Pistons bench scored more first-half points than the entire Chicago team. The Bulls shot 12-for-52 (23%) from the field and 1-for-23 (4%) from three.
If you’re a coach, what do you tell a team at halftime that’s winning by 42? In his interview with Johnny Kane, Isaiah Stewart said JB Bickerstaff was going to challenge them to keep up how well they were playing. I think I would tell the team to continue to beat the Bulls in each quarter, and that’s exactly what they did in the third. The Pistons outscored Chicago 34-30, and we saw Malik Beasley tie Saddiq Bey’s record for most made threes in a season.
On the very first play of the fourth quarter, Beasley hit another three for 212 total made threes in a season – a new franchise record. He instantly hugged Isaiah Stewart and made sure to hug his other teammates on the bench after being subbed out. It’s extremely fitting that Beasley was able to do this before the All-Star break – he’s an absolute flamethrower.
JB Bickerstaff was able to empty the bench early tonight, and we even saw newly acquired Lindy Waters III with his first minutes in a Pistons uniform. Marcus Sasser hit multiple threes late in garbage time, and Detroit finished the game with a 132-92 win.
Beasley led the way for Detroit with 24 points and seven threes. Cade had 20 points, six rebounds, and seven assists. The Pistons saw six players finish with double-digit points while team shot 53% from the field and 44% from deep. No player saw more than 27 minutes, and that’s important on the first game of a back-to-back.
Detroit gets to do it all over again tomorrow – same time, same team, same place.