The Detroit Pistons pulled ahead in the second half to beat the San Antonio Spurs 132-98. Here is the report card from the runaway win.
The Detroit Pistons scored a season-high 132 points and won by their largest margin of 34 points, beating the San Antonio Spurs 132-98 on Sunday.
Christian Wood set a career-high with 28 points and was impressive with his athleticism. But for a team with a talented frontcourt featuring Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond, it was an encouraging sign to see the backcourt step up and win a game.
Detroit shot a remarkable 59.1% from the floor and went 15 for 31 from the 3-point line. On a night where some Pistons fans thought DeMar DeRozan would have an opportunity to showcase himself, and he had a good game, it was the Pistons backcourt who made the loudest noise.
The report card is in and we’ll take a look at the point guards first.
Point guards
Bruce Brown
Line: 13 points, 5-8/1-2/2-2, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 turnover
Grade: B+
Brown’s development at point guard is something that will be met with growing pains but on Monday his ability to score was encouraging. His catch-and-shoot opportunities look fluid and he is quick driving towards the rim. Defense continues to be his strong suit but Brown is limiting his turnovers and making the right passes. He’s showing signs of becoming more comfortable on the offensive end.
Derrick Rose
Line: 10 points, 3-8/1-3/3-3, 10 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 3 turnovers
Grade: B
Rose’s playmaking ability was the most impressive part of his game. He didn’t force shots and showed great court vision to set the other Pistons up for clean looks.
Rose has an innate ability to penetrate and get in the lane. Due to his quick first step, his speed forces defenders to collapse and help on him which leads to open guards on the perimeter.
Tim Frazier
Line: 0 points, 0-1/0-0/0-0, 3 assists, 1 rebound
Frazier played the final five minutes and showed why he was given an opportunity in Detroit. He had solid ball security and created three assists. One was an impressive drive to the right block which freed up a first basket for rookie Sekou Doumbouya.