Back when the Detroit Pistons were merely a season or two removed from their most recent playoff series victory, a parody tourism video and T-shirt needled the Motor City.
“Cleveland,” its slogan began, “We’re Not Detroit.”
Someone wearing such apparel around an NBA fan today might be in line for comeuppance. No, the Pistons aren’t quite the NBA-leading Cleveland Cavaliers, but with both teams riding separate eight-game winning streaks, there’s no one enjoying a comparable heat wave.
The same Pistons franchise that lost a franchise-record 28 successive games last season entered Thursday one game out of the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference. A jelling blend of youth and veterans is on Detroit’s side, of course, yet home-court advantage might also be a helpful harbinger as the Pistons aim to capture a playoff series for the first time since 2008.
Both attributes boosted Detroit to its latest win, Wednesday’s 117-97 home rout of the shorthanded defending NBA champion Boston Celtics.
Malik Beasley led the Pistons with 26 points, while the young duo of guard Cade Cunningham (21 points, 11 assists) and center Jalen Duren (13 points, 11 rebounds) both notched double-doubles.
“They’re well-coached,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “You’ve seen the rise of Cade Cunningham, his ability and his shot quality has increased a ton. You used to be able to bait him into lower shot quality possessions, but he’s done a much better job at finding high-quality possessions from a shooting standpoint. [Jalen] Duren’s gotten better, just his overall development.
“They’ve won, what, eight out of 10? I think a lot of it has to do with their ability to take care of the [defensive end]. It starts with those guys, but you got [Malik] Beasley, [Tim] Hardaway. … They’re well-coached and well-balanced.”
And even-keeled.
“I told whoever asked me before the game if it’s a big game, I said, ‘It’s another game for me,’” Beasley said. “At this point of our journey we’re all about ourselves, and I think that’s what’s taken this to another level. … For us to get this win is huge.”
Even with a crowd of 20,062 roaring its approval as the final seconds ticked down Wednesday, the Pistons maintained composure, viewing the ovation only as a short-term reward. Boston, which had won 10 of 11, played without multiple key pieces of its rotation, including second-leading scorer Jaylen Brown (left quad).
The second-seeded Celtics hope to be more whole when they welcome the Cavaliers on Friday night.
The Pistons, meanwhile, will host the Western Conference-contending Denver Nuggets in a bid to avoid their first loss since a three-point defeat against Cleveland on Feb. 5.
“We’re just focused on the process of it all,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “We’re not focused on tonight, what we’ve done in the past. The only thing we’re focused on is every night, being the best version of ourselves. And [Wednesday] I thought we were pretty close.”
No, Detroit might not yet be Cleveland in the NBA landscape, but its Pistons certainly are charging.
