Pistons halftime secret is carrying them since All-Star break

The Detroit Pistons dominated the third quarter last night against the Raptors, something they’ve been doing a lot of since the All-Star break. 

The Pistons carried a five-point lead into the half in Toronto that had blossomed to 19 by the end of the third quarter. 

Detroit is up to 5th in the NBA in 3rd quarter scoring margin with a +1.9 on the season but that doesn’t tell the whole story, as the Pistons’ 3rd quarter domination has only grown since the All-Star break and it’s part of the reason they’ve been able to withstand injuries and hold onto first place. 

The Pistons are taking care of business after the half 

I don’t know what head coach JB Bickerstaff is doing at halftime, but it’s working, as the Pistons have enjoyed the best 3rd quarter margin in the league since the All-Star break. 

They have a +3.7 margin in the 3rd quarter of those 23 games, which would easily be the best in the league over the course of a whole season. After last night, the Pistons are +9.3 in the 3rd over their last three games. 

The Pistons are sharing the ball and shooting the lights out in the 3rd frame, shooting an eye-opening 54 percent as a team from the field and 42.4 percent from long range. 

The 3-point percentage in the third quarter has been seven points higher than their overall number since the All-Star break, so the Pistons are coming out of the locker room with energy and the hot hand. 

In these last 23 games, Detroit has 185 assists in the 3rd quarter to just 77 turnovers, and they are grabbing nearly three offensive rebounds per quarter in that span. 

The 3rd quarter isn’t even their best 

The best part of this recent 3rd quarter domination is that it’s not even the team’s best quarter of the game. Detroit’s best quarter this season by far has been the second, where they enjoy a +3.5 margin that is tops in the NBA. 

The Pistons are going into the half strong and then using that momentum to carry over to the third quarter, where they are often putting teams away. 

It also means that no halftime deficit is too much to overcome for Detroit, as they come out swinging in the 3rd. 

JB Bickerstaff has often been criticized for his lack of adjustments, but it’s long past time to give him some credit, as he is making effective changes at halftime that are helping his team take over in the second half. 

This should be another number to add to his Coach of the Year case, which should be strong considering how the Pistons have continued to win through myriad injuries and constantly shuffling rotations.