Game-Winners, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Greg Kesler | The Weekly Drive
Cade Cunningham drilled a game-winning three in South Beach, and on ESPN at that.
Hey there Pistons fans, and welcome back to the Weekly Drive. The Pistons were a few transition points away from having a perfect 4-0 week, but losses can be a little humbling for a young team on the rise. With ten games left, and still fighting for playoff positioning, the Pistons have plenty to play for. Let’s get in to it.
Game Recaps
Game 69: Detroit 127, New Orleans 81
Rapid Detail: It was a disaster game for the Pelicans, who lost productive young wing Trey Murphy to a season-ending shoulder injury and proceeded to shoot 32.6% from the floor. On the flip side, the Pistons put together one of their better offensive nights and won the rebounding battle 50-39.
Game 70: Detroit 116, Miami 113
Rapid Detail: Cade Cunningham drilled a game-winning three-pointer off the glass to give Detroit a big primetime win on ESPN. The Heat are not a very good basketball team, but every matchup between them and the Pistons feels like its had the adrenaline and insanity cranked up to max. Tyler Herro had a game-winner, Erik Spoelstra forgot how many timeouts there were, and now this.
Game 71: Detroit 117, Dallas 123
Rapid Detail: Losses are never quality, but some are worse than others. This would be considered a “bad” loss. The Mavericks are heavily depleted and fading out of the playoff picture, yet they found a way to beat Detroit. Cunningham had 35 points, but Tim Hardaway Jr. left the game early with an ankle sprain, and was spotted in a boot after the game.
Game 72: New Orleans 130, Detroit 136
Rapid Detail: A little close for comfort, but the Pistons found a way to hold off the Pelicans. Cunningham was a late scratch with a calf injury (likely pseudo rest given how bad New Orleans is), but some unlikely contributors helped pace the way for Detroit. Ron Holland (26 points, five rebounds, six assists) and Marcus Sasser (20 points) were excellent off the bench, with the former flashing a lot of nice skills.
Game-Winners, Rants, and Playoffs
Can you believe the Pistons are a playoff team? After last season, me neither. But they are, and that means its time to talk about playoff matchups. On the latest edition of the Palace of Pistons Podcast, the guys talked about Cade’s game-winner in Miami, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s rant in Dallas, and which team the Pistons should want to play in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Even writing that last bit seems surreal.
News and Notes
The Pistons will have another game flexed to the national stage, as their April 2nd matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder will now be aired on ESPN.
Greg Kesler is not thrilled with Shaq for not paying attention to the best story in the NBA.
Draymond Green, via his podcast with Baron Davis, says Cade Cunningham will bring a championship back to Detroit.
Ten games left, with a tough schedule still to go. The Pistons still have to play the Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Thunder, Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings, New York Knicks, and the Milwaukee Bucks twice. There are a few games mixed in there against lesser teams (sorry San Antonio and Toronto), but for the most part, it’s a difficult stretch to end the regular season. Let’s see what this young team is capable of.
See you next week.
Mike