Detroit — It wasn’t long ago that the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs were enduring the longest losing streaks in their franchises’ histories. The Spurs dropped 18 consecutive games during the 2023-24 season, while the Pistons had a 28-game losing streak in the same season.
Nearly two years later, a Pistons vs. Spurs game on a chilly Monday night at Little Caesars Arena captured the basketball world’s attention. Both teams came into Detroit on their respective winning streaks – the Pistons at five, the Spurs at eight – with some viewing it as a preview of the 2026 NBA Finals.
The Spurs and Victor Wembanyama proved to be the better team on this night and registered a big 114-103 road triumph.
BOX SCORE: Spurs 114, Pistons 103
“They move the ball well, they attack off the bounce, which draws the defense to create open 3s,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “Some of them were our fault because we gave up the strong side corner 3s, which we typically don’t. Give credit to them. They played a good ball game.”
The game also showcased two of the top five candidates for league MVP honors, Cade Cunningham and Wembanyama. It marked the first time the former No. 1 picks faced off in a regular-season game.
Cunningham had the most challenging night, contributing 16 points, 10 assists, six rebounds and a team-high three blocks. He had five fouls and shot just 5 of 26 from the field, 2 of 9 from behind the arc. Wembanyama also had a rough start, finishing the first half with seven points on 2-of-9 shooting; however, his struggles highlighted that San Antonio’s success relies on more than just its All-Star players.
Devin Vassell — who scored a game-high 28 points — accounted for seven of San Antonio’s 18 made 3-point field goals. Julian Champagnie added five triples for 17 points. Wembanyama added a double-double of 21 points, 17 rebounds and six blocks. He scored 11 points in the fourth quarter.
“They got guys that can shoot the ball really (well),” Ron Holland said. “I think we did a little too much over-helping tonight. But again, we’re going to watch film, watch every single thing that we did wrong and just take steps in the right direction and fix it. We’re a serious team and we know we can get the job done. Once we clean everything up, I think we’ll be fine.”
The Pistons (42-14) struggled to keep up with the Spurs’ 3-point shooting. They experienced one of their worst shooting performances of the season, making only 7 of 36 attempts (19.0%) from beyond the arc. On the season the Pistons are shooting 35.2% on 3-pointers. Duncan Robinson was just 3 of 11 from long range.
“We just could not find our rhythm in this game,” Cunningham said. “That’s the same thing with me as well. I did not have anything rolling for me, even in the paint. With my 3-ball, I could not find my rhythm, but every day is different. There are going to be days when the ball will go through the rim, but tonight was not one of those nights.”
Bickerstaff added, “I thought we got good looks. Obviously, some of them were contested. But I think the majority of them are shots that we take.”
Jalen Duren led the Pistons with 25 points and 14 rebounds. He scored seven points at the beginning of the fourth quarter in an effort to spark a comeback, but Detroit could not maintain the momentum. Holland II recorded his second career double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Observations and notes
Lack of minutes for Ausar: Ausar Thompson played well below his season average of 26.0 minutes against the Spurs. He played 18 minutes, finishing with eight points and four rebounds. Bickerstaff revealed after the game that Thompson’s lack of playing time stemmed from Holland’s contributions.
Still winning the battle of the boards: The Spurs have a size advantage with Wembanyama, but the Pistons still dominated the boards. Detroit out-rebounded San Antonio 55-50, and they were particularly strong on the offensive glass. The Pistons recorded 20 offensive rebounds, which led to 22 second-chance points.
coty.davis@detroitnews.com
@cotydavis_24
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Pistons misfire with poor 3-point shooting in loss to Spurs
Reporting by Coty M. Davis, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
