The Detroit Pistons keep it together against the Dallas Mavericks as the game wound down to snatch a victory at home from a touch Rick Carlisle team, 89-93.
Andre Drummond came up huge tonight. He had 24 points and 20 rebounds on a high-efficiency shooting 11 for13 from the field. Blake Griffin also had a dominating performance with 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists.
The Dallas Mavericks were a hard out. However, with Luka Doncic out nursing an ankle injury, the Pistons had a premiere opportunity to take advantage of a team in the process of trading three starters to the New York Knicks– Dennis Smith Jr, Wesley Matthews and DeAndre Jordan.
In their absence, players like Harrison Barnes, who scored 27 points and tallied seven rebounds, stepped up to make things uncomfortable all night for the Detroit Pistons. The Dallas Mavericks took a commanding hold of the game and even through the fourth quarter tried to keep a closed fist.
Without four of their starting five on the floor, the Mavericks were able to stave off a practically – still missing Ish Smith – full Detroit squad in most of the game. Things stayed interesting as the last quarter waned on. A three-point dagger from Blake Griffin that brought the Detroit Pistons within one point seemed to spark a run, but a few unfortunate turnovers put the team right back in the line of fire.
The Pistons left points on the table in several possessions against the Dallas Mavericks deep into the fourth quarter. After a Powell free throw-make, Andre Drummond comes through with a crucial put-back to jump the Mavericks 85-84 with 1:45 left on the game clock. A Reggie Jackson scoop-and-score right after put the Detroit Pistons more firmly in the driver’s seat as fans started to see the team perform as we would hope in clutch game situations.
In the end, the Mavericks’ inability to rebound a Jalen Brunson free throw-miss with seconds on the clock closed the door on any opportunity Dallas had to spoil the night for the Detroit Pistons.
As in recent, Reggie Jackson was solid for the Pistons, scoring 17 points on 6-of-14 shooting and nine assists against only two turnovers on the night. He took advantage of his matchup against Jalen Brunson, who guided the Dallas Mavericks’ offense throughout the night. Jackson used his speed and made some good decisions on both sides of the ball. As if playing for trade value right before the deadline, Reggie Jackson has improved in Dwane Casey’s system and has found an offensive rhythm that sees him as a late-game play-maker again.
After a 42.9 percent shooting performance against the Milwaukee Bucks, Stanley Johnson – who I thought may be the most important player of the game – was back to his old tricks as he went scoreless in the contest, making zero of his seven field-goal attempts. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that Stanley’s potential may never be realized in a Detroit Pistons’ uniform, despite how vital he is at times on the defensive side of the ball.
In games such as these, when the offense just needs to be efficient and successful and there is no star wing threat to contain, Johnson is not offensively capable of filling in the blanks.
The Detroit Pistons needed to win this game. Both for their postseason dreams and because of how shorthanded the Dallas Mavericks were stepping in to the competition. And they did. The Pistons deserve the credit for the win but have to keep themselves out of close encounters especially in situations where it can be avoided.
Their next match-up against the Los Angeles Clippers will not provide so many chances for redemption.