Detroit Pistons end losing streak with surge from bench
By Travis Gibbs
The Detroit Pistons went down to Orlando and got a much needed win against the Magic that ended their five-game losing streak.
The Detroit Pistons and the Orlando Magic clashed having very different outcomes in their previous games.
The Pistons suffered their fifth straight loss of the season against the Miami Heat in overtime on Monday night at home. The Orlando Magic were coming off a last-second win against the Cleveland Cavaliers on their home floor.
Related Story. Three quick keys to getting a win against Orlando. light
The Pistons had to have this game. Getting back to .500 and getting their season back on track was necessary against a team like the Magic.
They’re rebuilding and are most likely going to end up near the bottom of the eastern conference because of their lack of play-makers and depth. Teams that end up in the playoffs consistently beat teams like Orlando.
It was not the prettiest of games for the Detroit Pistons. However, they went on the road and took care of business. Their bench production and defense down the stretch of the game was what ended up making the difference.
The Pistons won 103-96 in Orlando. Here’s how it happened.
Game recap
The first quarter was ugly. There’s no way around it. The Pistons turned the ball over six times in the first seven minutes of the game.
You’re not going to win games in the NBA playing that sloppy. That’s especially true considering that the Pistons haven’t been able to consistently knock down shots all season.
Terrence Ross came into the game and hurt his former coach, Dwane Casey, with a hot first quarter. He scored eight points in the first quarter and ended the game with 15 points.
Evan Fournier had a big first quarter as well with 11 points. He finished the game with 27 points.
The Pistons ended the quarter with an 8-0 run in the quarter to make it close. Then, something strange happened.
More from PistonPowered
- Which Detroit Pistons could save Team USA in the Olympics?
- Detroit Pistons could have major roster churn after 2023-24 season
- The best Detroit Pistons to wear each uniform number
- Full Detroit Pistons NBA 2K24 ratings
- Detroit Pistons: Who will sign the remaining NBA free agents?
They went on a 24-4 run to take the lead. That was fueled by starting unit along with reserves coming off the bench.
The Pistons ended the first half with a 58-51 lead. Andre Drummond had 19 points and 12 rebounds at the break. The Pistons also had 19 points off the bench in the first half.
The Magic opened up the second half with a 9-0 run. They were outscored 29-20 which could have been much worse. They scored seven straight in the final minute of the quarter to pull it to a two-point game.
The Pistons quit doing everything that gave them the lead. Ball movement stopped. Guys quit moving without the ball. As a result, the Pistons we’re struggling offensively once again.
Going into the fourth quarter, Orlando held an 80-78 lead.
The Pistons bench would then come up big once again. What if I told you Stanley Johnson led the bench in points? He was the spark for that group tonight.
Johnson had 13 points off the bench and Langston Galloway had 12 points. These two helped secure the lead and the starting group secured the win.
Player of the game
I think an easy answer for the player of the game would be Andre Drummond or Blake Griffin. However, Stanley Johnson takes the cake tonight.
He’s had a really bad start to the year. Tonight, he sparked the bench and played very well.
This could be very big for his confidence going forward. He did it in a number of ways tonight. Johnson was taking three-point shots with no hesitation.
His ability to move in transition and go to the rim with aggression. A good team win for the Detroit Pistons tonight that ends their five-game losing streak.
They’re back in action on Friday night against the Atlanta Hawks.