DETROIT – Though the NBA All-Star break approaches, the Detroit Pistons show no signs of slowing down.
They have won 12 of their last 15 games to maintain a healthy Eastern Conference lead over the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics.
Detroit will wrap up a four-game homestand with a back-to-back as they host the new-look Washington Wizards on Thursday (Friday morning, Singapore time) and the Knicks on Friday.
The Pistons followed up a 53-point victory over Brooklyn on Sunday – the largest margin in franchise history – with a 124-121 win over Denver on Tuesday.
“I feel like at the end of the game, it comes down to who wants it more, who’s going to get the loose balls, who’s going to be the most disciplined, who’s going to go back to their strategy and do it best,” Detroit forward Ausar Thompson said of his team’s success so far.
That has been the norm for Detroit, especially on their home court. They have a 20-5 record at Little Caesars Arena.
Against Denver, the Pistons had a 26-9 edge in fast-break points, though they forced only 10 turnovers.
“Our entire team has bought into the identity that when we’re at our best, we’re the best defensive team on the floor,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said.
The Wizards had won three of four before getting pounded by the Knicks, 132-101, on Tuesday.
Wizards coach Brian Keefe knows that the task will be even harder against the Pistons.
“We played one of the better teams in the NBA (the Knicks are second behind the Pistons in the East),” he said. “If you don’t have your best stuff, that can happen. It’s not who we’ve been, it’s not who we’re going to be. We were not happy with our performance. We did not uphold to our standard.”
Washington did give Detroit a strong challenge in their first meeting on Nov 10. The host Pistons eked out a 137-135 overtime victory at home.
Meanwhile in NBA action on Wednesday, Keldon Johnson scored 25 points and Victor Wembanyama added 22 points and 14 rebounds to lead the host San Antonio Spurs to a 116-106 win over the short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder in a battle between the top two teams in the Western Conference.
Elsewhere, Donovan Mitchell registered 29 points, nine assists and five rebounds as the Cleveland Cavaliers mauled the Los Angeles Clippers 124-91 in Inglewood, California.
Cleveland won for the ninth time in their past 11 games one day after the two teams worked out a trade that included James Harden going to the Cavaliers and Darius Garland joining the Clippers. REUTERS