On Friday night, the Detroit Pistons achieved another impressive victory, defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 133-122. The Cavaliers were at full strength, while the Pistons played without their star point guard Cade Cunningham, who missed the game due to a calf contusion.
This was Detroit`s 42nd victory of the season, up from 14 wins last year. This 28-win increase makes the Pistons the first NBA team to triple their win total from the previous full 82-game season. The Charlotte Bobcats tripled their win total from seven in the 2011-12 season to 21 in the 2012-13 season, but the first total was achieved in a lockout-shortened 66-game season.
Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff probably won`t win the “Coach of the Year” award. It`s more likely that Kenny Atkinson, who replaced Bickerstaff in Cleveland and was a -1600 favorite according to BET MGM before Friday`s game, will receive this award.
Nevertheless, Bickerstaff has done an excellent job instilling a fighting spirit and strong defense in the Pistons. Cunningham has also performed brilliantly. And even without Cunningham on Friday, Detroit was able to beat the top team in the Eastern Conference and remained just two losses behind the Indiana Pacers for a top-four seed, with eight games remaining in the season.
Without Cunningham, the Pistons, who finished the game with a 12-1 run to secure the victory, delivered a great performance, especially Tim Hardaway Jr., who scored 32 points and made seven 3-pointers.
“Always next man up,” Hardaway said after the win. “No matter what they say.”
All five Detroit starters scored at least 16 points. Jalen Duren had 16 points and 13 rebounds. Malik Beasley scored 19 points and made three 3-pointers. Dennis Schroder had 17 points and was team-best with a “+16” rating. Ausar Thompson, who is not as well-known as his twin brother Amen from Houston but is also a sensational and productive player, scored 18 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks, two steals, and made a spectacular alley-oop.
The Pistons have won 17 of their last 23 games. During this stretch, they have the best defense in the league and the fourth-best offense. This is a serious team that can cause problems in the first round of the playoffs.
Jasper Hawthorne