“On a night we playing, don’t mean to disrespect them but the Detroit Pistons…,” these words come back to haunt Jaylen Brown. The Detroit side hadn’t beaten the Celtics since 2022. Additionally, they hadn’t placed over the 13th seed in the East since 2020. But the Cade Cunningham-powered Pistons are motivated this season. The time to change the narrative is here. And they secured a gigantic win, beating down the reigning champs.
Brown didn’t feature for the Celtics. But when going talent for talent, they still had the upper hand. Yet what unfolded was a 20-point decimation. The Detroit Pistons are running back their glory days, now having won eight straight and all set for playoff basketball for the first time since 2019.
However, if you ask the Shamrocks, it was their own errors that let them down. Kristaps Porzingis, one of the tallest players on the floor got outmuscled by Jalen Duran and Co. “Just a bad game to be honest. Me especially I was terrible tonight. And we just had a really bad game. We fought. We fought but they were like physical and different. felt for them like it was a really important game. They really wanted to win,” said the Unicorn.
Feb 26, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) passes between Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday (4) and center Al Horford (42) in the second half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
And their conviction poured out on the field. The Pistons grabbed 51 rebounds in the game, nineteen more than the Celtics. They also outscored them 62-20 in the paint. It seemed to be the game that the Pistons used to send a message. Maybe not the ‘Bad Boys’, but the new era of Pistons basketball is upon the NBA. But their identity hasn’t changed.
Aside from Cunningham’s orchestrating the show, Detroit relies on its excruciating ball pressure led by the likes of Ausar Thompson and Ronald Holland who left the Celtics out of breath.
“They did a great job keeping up their ball pressure to start the quarter. I thought some of our live ball turnovers and they did a great job getting into the paint. We weren’t connected in our defense protecting the rim, and they took advantage of that really with really starting with their defense and their attack on paint on offense,” Mazzulla spoke about the pivotal third-quarter turnaround where the Pistons outscored the Celtics 35-24.
Joe Mazzulla on the roots of the Pistons outscoring the Celtics 35-24 in the third quarter:
“They did a great job keeping up their ball pressure to start the quarter. I thought some of our live ball turnovers and they did a great job getting into the paint. We weren’t connected… pic.twitter.com/jGJgehyhzw
— Bobby Krivitsky (@BobbyKrivitsky) February 27, 2025
Don’t get it wrong. This was no lucky victory for the Pistons. The Eastern Conference side has empowered themselves to become a formidable side even though they are young. It is probably the hunger of youth that motivates them to be defiant. And they don’t seem to be looking back.
The Detroit Pistons are on the rise
The days of the Pistons being a mediocre team are long gone. What changed it is their former number one pick – Cade Cunningham. He has become the anchor of an impressive young core in just his fourth season. He plays with maturity. What stands out though is his companionship with his teammates.
He does hold the ball for most of the game, but giving it up is no problem. Recognizing his talent to be the core of a franchise rebuild, the Pistons made their move. They added some veteran talent and drafted those who would suit his skill set. Notably, a powerful center like Jalen Duran fits into Cunningham’s ability to dissect defenses and throw a lob.
Contrary to the NBA norm, the Pistons don’t thrive off three-pointers. Yes, players like Malik Beasley are playing out of their minds. However, 18 other teams attempt more threes than them. Because at the heart of the franchise is the fighting spirit that calls for elite defense.
In the last eight games, the Pistons allow the seventh least points. Additionally, they are winning by an average margin of 16 points. The lessons of the Bad Boys and even the famous Ben Wallace-led defense are oozing through the current roster.
It’s not a surprise to see them thrive. Cade Cunningham has engineered a surgical offense by calling the shots. The rest are determined to make the opponent’s life a living hell. As they are poised for postseason action, if there is a dark horse, it’s probably the Pistons. Because when the pressure mounts, it’s not an offense that gets the job done.
But team defense such as the Pistons ensures the clock is always in their control. Beware of the sleeping giants.
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