Detroit Pistons: Sizzling second half shows defensive potential

The Detroit Pistons picked up their 3rd victory of the young season, defeating the OKC Thunder 112-103 at Little Caesars Arena.  The Pistons got off to a slow start, falling behind at the half by 15 points.

The Pistons came out sizzling hot in the 3rd quarter, outscoring OKC 36-22 to get themselves back into the game and in position to pick up the win.  As we all know, this is a very young Pistons team and they are going to experience growing pains this season, as fans have already witnessed so far.

Hot start to second half

The Pistons started the 3rd quarter on a 21-6 run, which led to a tied game at 69 apiece on the scoreboard.  The Pistons were able to go on this run thanks to their defense in the 3rd quarter, as well as playing great team ball, led by Cade Cunningham, who scored 12 of his 21 points in the quarter.  The Pistons also got big contributions during the 3rd quarter from rookie Jaden Ivey, as well as a strong overall game from Saddiq Bey, who led the team in scoring with 25 points.

Isaiah Stewart played great after getting into foul trouble early, finishing the game with 11 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks.  One key factor for the Pistons during this game was the return of rookie Jalen Duren.  With Duren in the game, the Pistons have more size to matchup against bigs, compared to Stewart who is listed at 6-foot-9.  Duren missed the previous three games with a left ankle sprain.  Duren came in and played great defense in his 21 minutes and added three blocks in the win.

Detroit Pistons: Keys going forward

Being such a young team, the Detroit Pistons will have to continue to learn how to play with one another.  If the Pistons can learn to take smarter shots and commit fewer turnovers, they will be sure to pick up more victories in the upcoming games.  The Pistons will also need stronger bench play going forward if they want to turn the season around with hopes of reaching the play in tournament, which they should be getting soon with key bench players recovering from injury.

The Pistons are still looking to pick up their 1st win of the season on the road, currently holding an 0-5  record away from Little Caesar’s Arena.  They’ll have the opportunity to do so on November 9th against a very good Celtics team in Boston.  As the Pistons continue to play with each other, develop and grow, and build their chemistry together, this young team should have a very bright future going forward.