The Detroit Pistons blew out the Washington Wizards behind a big game from Josh Jackson and the bench.
The Pistons went up ten in the first quarter and never looked back, throttling the hapless Wizards from start to finish.
The Pistons “lost” a game on the Wizards in the battle for the worst record in the East and are now just 3.5 games “ahead” of Washington.
This was a game the Pistons probably would have liked to lose but someone forgot to tell the players, who did what they’ve been doing all season, which is playing competitive basketball no matter who the opponent is.
Here are three takeaways from the Pistons’ big win over the Wizards.
Detroit Pistons: The Pistons’ defense just keeps getting better
The Pistons’ offense has not been a thing of beauty this season but they are building a solid defensive foundation that will be their calling card as they continue to improve.
The defense has gotten markedly better since Blake Griffin stopped playing (shocker) and has been even better over the last 12 games.
The Pistons are holding opponents to just 105.2 points over the last 12, which on its own would be good for best in the NBA.
The Pistons are up to 15th overall and could see themselves in the top ten of the NBA in defense before this season is over.
Troy Weaver knows what he is doing, as all of the top teams in the NBA standings are also the top teams in defense.
The Detroit Pistons can find guys who can score, but it’s not easy to find players who buy into a defense-first philosophy.
It appears the Pistons have found some in Jerami Grant, Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart and that defense will be the thing this team builds around.