It was a complete team performance for the Detroit Pistons as they defeated divisional rivals Milwaukee at Little CaesarsArena, 105-96.
The Detroit Pistons received solid performances from almost every player who stepped onto the court, while also putting the clamps on the Milwaukee Bucks.
The standout performer for the night, however, was big man Andre Drummond.
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He started the night by committing a foul within literally one-second of the game tipping off and managed to pick up a second foul not too long after.
After a period on the bench, Drummond came back fired up and looking ready to dominate the Bucks, all while not committing another foul for the rest of the game.
Drummond put up 24 points, 15 rebounds, 1 steal and 2 blocks for the night.
He managed to score those 24 points on some insane efficiency.
Drummond was 5 of 7 from the field and was an outstanding 14 of 16 from the free throw line.
It’s getting to the point where he’s almost automatic from the charity stripe, which makes his game that much more unstoppable.
Teams can no longer foul Drummond in the hopes of limiting his offensive impact, something the Bucks found out big time as they continued to foul and continued to see him put up two more points on the board.
His defensive game was equally impressive, with his two blocks being a shining example of how he’s now playing a lot smarter and timing his defensive efforts a lot better.
Dre doing it all in the third! #PistonsNow pic.twitter.com/nPBCgHcIIw
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) November 4, 2017
During Drummond’s early foul troubles Eric Moreland was asked to play extended minutes and he did not disappoint.
Moreland proved to be a huge presence on both ends of the floor, so much so that Drummond’s absence wasn’t as big of a deal as first thought.
His 6 points, 9 rebounds and 1 block on the stat sheet show a solid game, but his +17 leading the team in plus/minus by a huge margin paints a clearer picture of how important he was tonight.
The Pistons had a lot of these understated performances against the Bucks.
Reggie Jackson managed just 9 points and 8 assists, shooting 27.3 percent, but overall actually played quite well and kept the Pistons’ offence moving.
Tobias Harris dropped only 13 points, but his 3 of 6 makes from deep was huge in kicking starting the team’s shooting early in the game.
We also saw Stanley Johnson contributing in a big way on defence.
Johnson’s stat sheet looks very modest because it doesn’t take into account the fantastic job he did on the Bucks’ star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Antetokounmpo still managed to put up 29 points, but he had to earn each one of them and not once did it feel like he was taking over or dominating the game, which is not something that has been said too often this season.
We see you, @iamsj. #PistonsNow pic.twitter.com/BfJ43Lk9kZ
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) November 4, 2017
The Pistons’ other defensive star, Avery Bradley, was the other obvious standout alongside Drummond tonight.
We knew Bradley’s poor shooting night against the Los Angeles Lakers was an anomaly and tonight proved it.
He shot 42.1 percent from the field and 50 percent from three as he put up 23 points while showcasing his defensive best, coming away with 3 steals.
Anthony Tolliver, Ish Smith and Langston Galloway all contributed meaningfully too.
The win takes the Pistons to a 6-3 record, while the Bucks slump to 4-5.
This could be a cause for concern for the Bucks as they face the Cleveland Cavaliers, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies and then the Pistons again in their next five games.
That’s a tough stretch of games and one that could put them well and truly behind the pacesetters if they drop too many games.
The Pistons, on the other hand, are primed to solidify their place at the top of the Eastern Conference.
Their next five games come against the Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers, Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat and then the Bucks again.
The first four of those five games will all be played at home.
Next: Is Anthony Tolliver the key to the Pistons defense?
It seems this year the Detroit Pistons may actually be the real deal.