Pistons cruise to victory over Trail Blazers
123. 64. 103. 34. Final
The Detroit Pistons got a big night from Reggie Jackson and excellent play from the rest of the starting five as they defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 123- 103.
The Pistons jumped out to an early lead, and even though Portland hung around into the third quarter this one was never really in doubt.
The Pistons looked every bit like a playoff team tonight as they imposed their will on a very good Portland team, and they got great production from every starter and even from the bench as well.
Here are the grades:
A. Reggie was the best player on the floor tonight. Brandon Jennings tweeted during the game that he thinks there is something personal between Reggie and Damian Lillard, and the way Reggie has played against Portland this year, Jennings may be right. Reggie outplayed Lillard tonight, scoring 30 points on 11-19 shooting with nine assists and just one turnover. He had an answer to take the wind out of Portland’s sails every time it looked like they were ready to make a run. It was great to see Reggie bounce back after a tough night last night. . PG. Pistons. REGGIE JACKSON
KENTAVIOUS CALDWELL-POPE. B+. KCP didn’t shoot well from the floor tonight (4-12) but he made some great defensive plays and still managed to score 16 points thanks in large part to hitting 7-8 from the free throw line. He also added seven rebounds. He guarded Lillard for most of the night, and even though Lillard scored 26 points, he shot just 8-22 and had seven turnovers. KCP made Lillard work for everything, and when Lillard struggles, the Trail Blazers struggle.. SG. Pistons
Pistons. MARCUS MORRIS. B. Marcus struggled in the first quarter, but he came out and scored eight points in the second and finished with 19 points and three rebounds on 5-14 shooting. He and Gerald Henderson were going at each other and that seemed to energize Marcus and help him turn his night around.. SF
B+. Tobias filled up the box score tonight, scoring 16 points on 7-12 shooting with five assists, five rebounds and two steals. His versatility was on display again as he knocked down two three pointers and also showed off his ability to back his man down and get points in the paint. He continues to allow the Pistons to do things offensively that they could never do with Ersan Ilyasova. . PF. Pistons. TOBIAS HARRIS
B+. Andre scored 14 points and pulled down 18 rebounds in just 27 minutes, and but for picking up his fourth foul mid way through the third quarter he could have finished with a huge line. His teammates went to him early, and he delivered with a couple of baskets off post ups at the beginning of the game. He secured his 53rd double double of the season with a put back dunk. Portland once again had no answer for Drummond in the post.. C. Pistons. ANDRE DRUMMOND
C. Pistons. ARON BAYNES. C+. Baynes was quiet but solid off the bench with four points and three rebounds in 20 minutes. He had a hard time guarding Meyers Leonard, and he fell for Leonard’s pump fakes over and over. Otherwise, it was another decent game for the back up center.
STEVE BLAKE. C+. This was a tough match up for Blake, but he hung in there and was able to serve as a game manager during his 14 minutes of playing time. He scored five points (all in the fourth quarter) and dished out two assists.. PG. Pistons
Inc. Joel came in for the final minute of the game when the Pistons were in celebration mode. He almost got a rebound.. C. Pistons. JOEL ANTHONY
B-. Hilliard hit a couple of shots in the first half, but Reggie Bullock’s play kept him on the bench for most of the second. He scored five points in just seven minutes.. SG. Pistons. DARRUN HILLIARD II
Pistons. REGGIE BULLOCK. A. Reggie turned in another impressive performance off the bench, and he continues to make the most of the opportunity that has presented itself due to injuries. He didn’t miss a shot tonight, scoring 11 points (3-3 from the field and 2-2 from the free throw line) and grabbing seven rebounds in 26 minutes.. SG
A. Coach Van Gundy enjoyed a night of solid production from just about everyone. He even shared a couple laughs with Reggie Jackson after leaving his point guard hanging on a high five attempt when Reggie came out of the game. I liked that he gave Reggie Bullock 26 minutes tonight and I noticed he is rotating Marcus Morris and Tobias Harris in with the second unit which seems to be helping the bench offensively. Despite the solid play from Bullock lately, SVG is definitely looking forward to having a healthy roster with Stanley Johnson and Anthony Tolliver coming back in the near future.. Head Coach. Pistons. STAN VAN GUNDY