The Detroit Pistons did it again. They did it without all five players fans were penciling into their starting lineup in September. They did it despite a third-quarter collapse that saw them go from up nine to down 13. They won. Their ninth in a row. They beat the Philadelphia 76ers 114-105 and moved to 2-0 in NBA Cup play.
The Pistons were down Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris and Jalen Duren. It didn’t matter. Not when you have Javonte Green scoring 21 points, Dannis Jenkins hitting a 52-point buzzer-beater at the end of the third to cut the deficit to two and breathe new life into Detroit.
Not when you have Isaiah Stewart and Caris LeVert each scoring 14 points off the bench and delivering key defensive stops and clutch fourth-quarter threes, respectively.
The Pistons, simply, did everything required to win. They fight, and even when knocked back on their heels, they never fold. They play as a TEAM.
Detroit had 32 assists on 41 made baskets. They forced 15 turnovers. They had 16 stocks (steals plus blocks). They had six players in double figures, and three of those players weren’t even necessarily expected to be part of their regular rotation — Jenkins (19 points, eight assists), Paul Reed (10 points, eight rebounds), and Green (21 points, nine rebounds).
That is in stark contrast to the Sixers, who relied heavily on the brilliance of backcourt superstar Tyrese Maxey and rookie sensation VJ Edgecombe. Both delivered. Maxey often looked impossible to stop, whether he was bombing from deep, hitting tough runners or knifing his way to the rim. No matter the angle, no matter the defense, he made shots look easy.
At the same time, Maxey needed 31 shots to get his 31 points. The Pistons made his life as difficult as possible #!$ though he made plenty of things look easy, he needed to work his butt off to give his team a chance.
Edgecombe had some ups and some downs, but his skill level was easily apparent, and it is hard to imagine him not becoming a star in the NBA with how easy the game is coming to him in his first dozen career games.
The Pistons and Sixers played back and forth early on before the Pistons were able to turn some stifling defense into easy offense and stretch a lead that reached nine into halftime.
The third quarter was a different story. It was such a disaster it seemed like Detroit’s magical winning streak, despite being extremely shorthanded for so much of it, was destined to end at eight. By the midpoint of the third quarter, the Pistons had committed eight turnovers, scored five points, and turned a nine-point lead into a seven-point deficit. It was getting so ugly even Andre Drummond had dropped a pair of three-pointers on his former team.
It was clear the Sixers were determined to turn up the defensive pressure on an undermanned team that was playing over its head. Detroit took the punch, and instead of folding, they regathered their composure, decided to match their defensive intensity, and start moving the ball and trying to generate clean open looks.
The relentless, attacking Pistons scored their first five baskets at the rim and punctuated it with a Jenkins three to stretch their lead to 101-97. After some back-and-forth play, a nasty jumper from Maxey made it 103-99 Detroit, but a pair of back-to-back LeVert threes essentially put the game away for Detroit.
They did it again. I don’t know how, but I know why. Because as coach JB Bickerstaff said after the team’s last thrilling victory, there is something special brewing in the locker room.
The Pistons will have a chance to make it a 10-game win streak on Monday against the Indiana Pacers.