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3 takeaways from the Detroit Pistons 128-123 win over the Denver Nuggets

By Nicolas Henkel

DETROIT, MI - FEBRUARY 2: Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk #19, Reggie Jackson #1, and Tony Snell #17 of the Detroit Pistons talk during the game against the Denver Nuggets on February 2, 2020 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 2020 NBAE (Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI - FEBRUARY 2: Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk #19, Reggie Jackson #1, and Tony Snell #17 of the Detroit Pistons talk during the game against the Denver Nuggets on February 2, 2020 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 2020 NBAE (Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk #19, Reggie Jackson #1, and Tony Snell #17 of the Detroit Pistons (Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images)
Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk #19, Reggie Jackson #1, and Tony Snell #17 of the Detroit Pistons (Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images) /

After winning their first overtime game of the season, the Detroit Pistons snapped their five game losing streak.

The Detroit Pistons found themselves in a hole as soon as today’s game tipped. Despite hitting seven consecutive shots to close the first quarter out, they still found themselves trailing 44-30.

The Denver Nuggets carried over their hot shooting from their previous match up in Milwaukee, as they shot an astonishing 69.2 percent from the field in the first quarter and assisted on 12 of their 18 made field goals.

The Nuggets were forcing Detroit into a lot of one on one situations on both ends of the floor, which played a substantial part in the Pistons lack of success.

A bright spot was the performance of Sekou Doumbouya, who after finding himself absent from the rotation against Toronto and only played 8 minutes against Brooklyn, started today.

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He played the entirety of the first quarter and scored 10 points.

The fluidity of Denver’s offense was on full display, despite having played their third game in four days. They were also missing three starters and four of their key pieces. Their movement in transition was seamless and they were able to generate high percentage looks for themselves.

Conversely, Detroit’s inability to defend the perimeter, the paint, or defend without fouling was as prominent of a fault as it’s been all season.

Things quickly turned around for the Pistons in the second quarter. Their aggression on offense helped them erase a 21 point deficit, largely due to the heroics of Doumbouya. They wound up tying the game at 56 with 3:28 left in the half.

Seeing both iterations of this Detroit team in a 24 minute span isn’t a foreign concept, but to see them perform that poorly, and all of the sudden perform that well was a bit of a roller coaster to deal with.

Bruce Brown‘s ability to knock down his three-point shots and get to the basket gave the Pistons a necessary spark. By halftime he had scored 12 points on 5 of 6 shooting, while also hitting both three-pointers he attempted. He and Sekou were the catalysts in the Pistons comeback.

The Pistons took their first lead of the game with a minute left until halftime at 64-63, and didn’t relinquish the lead until the opening possession of the fourth quarter.

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