DETROIT — Moments before Tuesday night’s tipoff at Little Caesars Arena, Grammy-nominated artist Big Sean fired up Detroit Pistons fans with a spirited pregame message.
“Detroit Basketball, get ready for the (expletive) playoffs!”
The Pistons appeared to take the Detroit native’s words to heart, cruising to a decisive 122-96 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
With the win, Detroit improved to 41-32, securing its highest win total since finishing 41-41 under former coach Dwane Casey in 2018-19. One more victory would give the Pistons their best record since the 2015-16 season.
**Balanced attack fuels W**
Six Pistons scored in double figures Tuesday night, led by second-year guard Marcus Sasser, who shouldered the scoring load.
Sasser came off the bench to score 27 points — a career-high — while knocking down five 3-pointers. Tobias Harris added 15 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren chipped in 14 points each. Malik Beasley scored 13 off the bench while Tim Hardaway added 12 points.
San Antonio made a push in the third quarter behind Devin Vassell and rookie Stephon Castle, who sparked a 28-13 run that cut into Detroit’s lead. The Spurs outscored the Pistons 35-28 in the period, but their comeback bid fell short.
Pistons guard Lindy Waters halted the Spurs’ momentum with a 3-pointer that gave Detroit a commanding 110-87 lead with 4:17 left.
**Key absences for both teams**
For the second straight game, the Pistons were without All-Star guard Cade Cunningham, who is nursing a left calf contusion. Dennis Schröder started in his place again. Schroder scored seven points and added six assists.
The Spurs were also missing their top two players, with Victor Wembanyama (shoulder) and De’Aaron Fox (fifth finger) sidelined with season-ending injuries.
**Hardaway Jr. makes immediate impact**
Tim Hardaway Jr. returned to the Pistons’ lineup, and his presence was felt immediately. With Detroit already in control, Hardaway drilled a 3-pointer with 5:18 left in the second quarter, extending the Pistons’ lead to 47-27.
Speaking of the second quarter, that’s when the game slipped away from the Spurs. San Antonio shot just 1-of-18 from the floor in the first 11:30 of the period, while Detroit shot 67% during that stretch.
Hardway finished with 12 points and four assists.
**Looking ahead**
The Pistons will have a few days off before continuing their homestand Friday, when they host the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers — the former team of Pistons assistant coach J.B. Bickerstaff.