The Detroit Pistons tightened their grasp on the seventh-seed in the 2019 NBA Playoffs with their 113-109 win against the Indiana Pacers at home in LCA. A late-game shove in the back from Indiana’s Thaddeus Young against Andre Drummond – that resulted in a flagrant foul – signaled the Pacers’ frustrations with the double-digit lead the Detroit Pistons touted for a big fraction of the night.
The game had a different feel to it than other Pistons’ contests. The shots were falling, yet by design not accident. Although the second quarter ended in a narrow four-point lead for Detroit, the Pistons stayed physical and played with an edge of confidence fans hadn’t seen since the start of the season.
Blake Griffin’s 20/10/10 triple-double invited the idea that he was Monday night’s MVP. It was Andre Drummond’s 26-point, 16-rebound performance that made the Detroit Pistons stand apart and pull away with the win.
Drummond suffocated Indiana’s passing lanes early and his three blocks on the night breathe life into the center’s reputation as a rim protector.
He was quick and intimidating in the post as he stayed aggressive on the offensive end of the floor. Drummond is not going to take 21 shots a game, but it was nice to see him flip the switch and never turn it off.
Luke Kennard was in full form against the Indiana Pacers. Deep into the fourth quarter, Blake Griffin chased down his lost ball and somehow corralled it to Kennard for the long ball, who sunk it to take 91-105 lead. Kennard’s confidence continues to grow and his numbers show and prove (19 [points, 70.0 percent field-goal).
The aforementioned play left a bad taste in Griffin’s mouth, which subsequently led to double technical fouls on both he and Bojan Bogdanovic, the Indiana Pacers’ leading scorer Monday with 25 points and four rebounds.
Fourteen of his points came in the fourth quarter as Indiana tried to mount a comeback, but without much production from Myles Turner, the effort was for naught.
Domantas Sabonis was a live-wire for the Indiana Pacers against the Detroit Pistons. He scored 23 points in the game and owned the second quarter Monday night.
The fourth quarter saw Sabonis limping to the locker-rooms after he suffered a sprained ankle. The Pacers were within reach, but only seem to be kicked further down as they were handed the loss of the game and the loss of Sabonis for an unspecified amount of time.
Myles Turner had quiet outing. He scored only seven points on 30.0 percent field-goal shooting. The Indiana Pacers play an inside-out scheme, so it was a step forward for the Detroit Pistons to defensively cap a team that plays so well close to the rim.
The playoff implications for this game are sky-high. It is not outside the realm of possibility that the Detroit Pistons could finish at number six and the Indiana Pacers at number three in eastern conference standings. If so, last night’s meeting proved that the Pistons could hold their own if the opportunity presented itself in a seven-game series. The 37-point blowout happened.
But, that was a different day.
And this is a different Detroit Pistons.