Detroit – This had everything, and that’s not hyperbole. It had an 18-minute delay while arena staff feverishly tried to shut off the game horn, which wouldn’t stop blaring. It had courtside ejections as the action heated up and fans bounded too closely to the officials. It had elbows and arm swats and a hearty amount of verbal disputes.
It was supposed to be a showdown between the East’s beasts, but it became something crazier. The Pistons’ pulsating 122-119 overtime victory over the Cavaliers Friday night took nearly three-and-a-half hours to complete, counting the horn delay. And when it was over, it was hard to recall a regular-season Pistons game in the history of Little Ceasars Arena that delivered more unexpectedly entertaining drama.
No punches were pulled, no profound statements were made, although one is growing before our eyes – Jalen Duren is becoming the interior behemoth who could be the long-sought scoring option alongside star Cade Cunningham. Ultimately, we saw many of the reasons the Pistons (44-14) have the best record in the league, and a few reasons there’s skepticism that they’re sufficiently built for the playoffs.
Cleveland (37-24) was without stars Donovan Mitchell (groin) and newly added James Harden (thumb) but controlled long stretches with its frontline tandem of Jarrett Allen (25 points) and Evan Mobley (23 points 12, rebounds). The Cavaliers retooled after being the top seed in the East a year ago and are still in transition.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Pistons are sticking to the plan, defying convention with ferocious defense, a deep, connected roster and Cunningham’s all-around splendor.
Spotty shooting remains the concern, especially in the playoffs, when every team cranks up the intensity and physicality. The Pistons crank it up on a nightly basis, so no one’s sure what the next level can be.
In this one, they were sloppy with the ball, ran into foul trouble and shot 22% from 3. With 2:44 left, they trailed 107-98 and it was about time for the patrons to head out for late-night coneys. When Cunningham fouled out moments later, the game appeared lost, before it turned into a test of the Pistons’ clutch-time worthiness.
“That’s who we’ve been,” said coach J.B. Bickerstaff, his voice hoarser than usual. “Moment to moment, time by time, collectively the guys rise to the occasion. You lose Cade, obviously that hurts. You lose Duncan (Robinson), that hurts. We keep saying we’re deep, and we trust the guys we have on the floor.”
Trust is a delicate strategy, and the Pistons have no choice but to use it. The theory is, they demand too much of Cunningham, who must score and distribute and lead against a gauntlet of defenders. Cunningham had his standard loaded stat line – 25 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists – before he fouled out.
In came sparkplug Daniss Jenkins, and suddenly the Pistons were buzzing. Ausar Thompson got a steal and a dunk and added two free throws. Then Tobias Harris got a steal and a dunk to cut the Cavs’ lead to 109-107 and the crowd was in delirium.
The Pistons have been pressure-time stalwarts, with Cunningham usually orchestrating it, but he was out now. They talk about their immense wealth of interchangeable parts, and here, they got a great chance to show it.
The 6-10 Duren was an absolute force, muscling for rebounds and dunks. He finished with 33 points and 16 rebounds, extending his streak of at least 25 points and 10 rebounds to four straight games, something no Piston had done since Bob McAdoo in 1980-81. He went straight at Allen again and again with the best performance of his young career.
“Anytime I go against other bigs that are highly touted, I love those games,” Duren said. “Most bigs can’t guard me off the bounce. I try to do my best, get to the rim, get to the free-throw line. As a team, we’re all elevating, just getting ready to take that next step, man.”
Inconsistent free-throw shooting
Inconsistent free-throw shooting is one of the playoff red flags for the Pistons, although Duren hit 11 of 15 and is up to 74%. Thompson also has struggled with his shot but is an elite defender, and he marveled at what Duren’s doing.
“He’s super aggressive, super strong,” Thompson said. “You take a bump from him, it’s not a normal bump, it’s like getting hit by a train. … This win means we’re ready for any moment, minor setbacks don’t mess with our head.”
That’s one perspective and a good one, but not the only one. The shining example is Jenkins, who has lit it up in dire situations several times. With the Pistons trailing 114-111 and five seconds remaining, Jenkins smartly rose up and heaved a shot as Cleveland’s Jaylon Tyson tried to foul him. Jenkins was awarded three free throws, nailed them all, and then in overtime, Duren inflicted even more damage.
No one should be giddy about the result, outside of the general craziness. The Cavs were shorthanded, just as the defending champion Thunder were earlier in the week when they sat Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams and the Pistons pulled out a 124-116 victory. At the start of the week, the Spurs came in healthy and won handily 114-103.
It’s hard to tell what these regular-season “showdowns” mean these days, with so many teams resting stars for the playoffs. Load management is out of control in the NBA, an issue for another day. It’s not the strategy of choice for the Pistons and Cunningham, who has missed only six games all season.
It’s one of the reasons Cunningham is rightly near the top of the favorites list for league MVP. Others such as Nikola Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander have missed enough time, they might fail to reach the 65-game minimum to be eligible for the award.
Individual plaudits aren’t the Pistons’ focus right now. Neither are these purported measuring sticks against the best.
“It doesn’t change for us,” Bickerstaff said. “We don’t come into a game and say, OK we’re playing the Cavaliers, or the Thunder, or the Spurs, now we gotta play harder. That’s not who we are. What’s made us consistent is our consistency in our approach and our effort.”
Depth and consistency of effort are the Pistons’ strengths. On nights when Cunningham is bottled up, or fouled out, the true tests will come. By the end Tuesday night, the crowd was standing and shrieking with every shot, and it felt like a playoff game. For a team seeking its first playoff success, every taste of the test matters.
Bob.wojnowski@detroitnews.com
@bobwojnowski
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Wojo: In wild win over Cavs, Pistons show it all, including flaws
Reporting by Bob Wojnowski, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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