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Rapid Reaction: Detroit Pistons defeat Brooklyn Nets 113-109

By Brendan Triola

DETROIT, MI - OCTOBER 24: Bruce Brown #6 of the Detroit Pistons handles the ball against the Atlanta Hawks on October 24, 2019 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI - OCTOBER 24: Bruce Brown #6 of the Detroit Pistons handles the ball against the Atlanta Hawks on October 24, 2019 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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On the second night of a back-to-back, the Detroit Pistons battled back against the Brooklyn Nets to win 113-109.

Just hours before tip-off, the Detroit Pistons announced that they would be without point guard Reggie Jackson for at least four weeks. Derrick Rose and Tim Frazier were both listed as questionable, and neither of them were able to go.

None of the Pistons that were actIve had ever started an NBA game at the point guard position. But Bruce Brown stepped up when given the opportunity.

Brown was sensational in his first start at point guard, scoring a career-high 22 points, along with dishing seven assists without a turnover. Brown consistently hit the floater, and displayed a ton of chemistry with Andre Drummond (more on him later).

player comp. How Luke Kennard stacks up to JJ Redick and Kyle Korver. light

The Pistons got out to a 12-point lead in the first quarter, and Luke Kennard was the first Piston to sub out of the game. This was because Casey brought Kennard, along with Langston Galloway and Svi Mykhailiuk to run some kind of point guard-by-committee.

The lineup in the second quarter was a disaster offensively and defensively, and they dug themselves into a hole that looked difficult to climb out of. In that quarter, the Pistons were outscored 28-13. At halftime, Drummond led the team in literally every stat.

The momentum finally swung during the third quarter, when Drummond picked off a pass and got a dunk in transition to cut the Nets lead to 64-52.

The Pistons tied the game at 68, and never gave up the lead again. Kennard struggled in the first half with his shot, but he was able to fight through it and connected on several shot attempts down the line. Kennard finished the game with 24 points.

Player of the Game

While Brown was amazing and deserves recognition for his play tonight, the only answer to this can be Drummond. Drummond playing another 39 minutes finished the day with 25 points, 20 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 blocks, and 3 steals.

The offensive was able to find a groove early using Drummond. He had three assists during the first four minutes of the game.

Drummond’s impact was obvious on both ends, and he made clutch free throws down the line to seal the deal. Drummond had his fourth 20-20 game of the year (the rest of the NBA has one).

Key Moment

During the third quarter, the Pistons went on a 20-2 run, kicked by Drummond’s steal and dunk. This gave the Pistons enough cushion to get Drummond a few minutes of rest to start the fourth quarter.

Drummond’s free throws at the end of the game deserve a shoutout too. He wasn’t the guy that was supposed to get the inbound pass, but Kennard and Galloway were unable to get themselves open.

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Brendan’s Notes

I was ready to yank Brown out of the rotation, but all of the things that frustrated me about his start of the season were not a problem tonight.

Brown had been a turnover machine to start the year, consistently flying to the basket without a clue of what he wanted to do with the ball. Tonight, he did a great job at slowing down, reading the defense and taking open floaters and protecting the ball.

As a team, the Pistons only turned it over eight times.

His performance tonight gives me some confidence that the Pistons could stay afloat without Jackson. The second unit will be fine when Derrick Rose returns, and Brown and Kennard could be the backcourt of the future.

The Pistons second unit got demolished on defense, Caris LeVert had a stretch where he got the basket three times in a row. Markieff Morris heading to the bench when Blake Griffin returns could help this unit, but they’ll still need HEAVY Drummond minutes for the rest of the season.

Next. Can Pistons trade for D'Angelo Russell with Stephen Curry's injury?. dark

It was a win the Pistons desperately needed after a few uninspiring performances. The Pistons travel to Washington on Monday, host the Knicks on Wednesday, and take on the Indiana Pacers for the third time on Friday. Those are all winnable games, and the Pistons need to make sure they don’t squander this opportunity.

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