NBA Eastern Conference leaders Detroit Pistons pose challenge to Washington Wizards
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Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham tugs on the shorts of Denver Nuggets guard Tim Hardaway Jr before trying to drive past him in the second quarter at Little Caesars Arena on Feb 3.
PHOTO: IMAGN IMAGES
DETROIT – Although the National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star break approaches, the Detroit Pistons show no signs of slowing down.
They have won 12 of their last 15 games to maintain a healthy Eastern Conference lead over the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics.
Detroit will wrap up a four-game homestand with a back-to-back as they host the new-look Washington Wizards on Feb 5 (Feb 6, Singapore time) and the Knicks on Feb 6.
The Wizards are acquiring 10-time All-Star forward Anthony Davis from the Dallas Mavericks in an eight-player trade, ESPN reported on Feb 4.
The Pistons followed up a 53-point victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Feb 1 – the largest margin in franchise history – with a 124-121 win over the Denver Nuggets on Feb 3.
“I feel like at the end of the game, it comes down to who wants it more, who’s going to get the loose balls, who’s going to be the most disciplined, who’s going to go back to their strategy and do it best,” Detroit forward Ausar Thompson said of his team’s success so far.
That has been the norm for Detroit, especially on their home court. They have a 20-5 record at Little Caesars Arena.
Against Denver, the Pistons had a 26-9 edge in fast-break points, despite forcing only 10 turnovers.
“Our entire team has bought into the identity that when we’re at our best, we’re the best defensive team on the floor,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said.
The Wizards had won three of four before getting pounded by the visiting Knicks 132-101 on Feb 3.
Wizards coach Brian Keefe knows that the task will be even harder against the Pistons.
“We played one of the better teams in the NBA (the Knicks are second behind the Pistons in the East),” he said. “If you don’t have your best stuff, that can happen. It’s not who we’ve been, it’s not who we’re going to be. We were not happy with our performance. We did not uphold to our standard.”
Washington did give Detroit a strong challenge in their last meeting on Nov 10. The Pistons eked out a 137-135 overtime victory at home.
Meanwhile in NBA action on Feb 4, Jalen Brunson scored the first six points of the decisive run in the second overtime for the hosts Knicks, who earned their eighth straight win by outlasting the Nuggets 134-127.
He finished with 42 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.
Elsewhere, Keldon Johnson scored 25 points and Victor Wembanyama added 22 points and 14 rebounds to lead the hosts San Antonio Spurs to a 116-106 win over the short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder in a battle between the top two teams in the Western Conference.
Meanwhile, Donovan Mitchell registered 29 points, nine assists and five rebounds as the Cleveland Cavaliers mauled the Los Angeles Clippers 124-91 in Inglewood, California.
Cleveland won for the ninth time in their past 11 games one day after the two teams worked out a trade that included James Harden going to the Cavaliers and Darius Garland joining the Clippers. REUTERS
