DETROIT – The Detroit Pistons now has two book wins. It was the defensive mentality and some strong performances in the attack on Friday that lifted the Pistons to a 110-105 victory in overtime over the Phoenix Suns.
It was the recovery and affirmation that the team needed while continuing to try to restore the franchise to a championship contender. After losing the previous three games, the Pistons looked at Friday night’s victory as a boost of confidence.
Now they seek to carry that confidence and momentum by turning the page towards Utah Jazz on Sunday (3 pm Fox Sports Detroit). Before that, here are some lessons from Friday’s victory:
The pistons bring back the defensive intensity: One of the things that helped Pistons stay so competitive was the defense that coach Dwane Casey and his team emphasized. After a slow start and allowing the Suns to score 56 points in the first half, the Pistons increased the pressure in the second half.
Detroit managed to limit Phoenix to 20 points in the third quarter and 17 points in the fourth while struggling to return to a draw and send the game into overtime. That intensity was maintained during the extra game when the Pistons went on a 7-0 run to start the period.
Part of their defensive intensity was the adjustment of men’s coverage for the zone, which allowed them to prepare to slow down the Suns in the transition.
“This is the team I recognized,” said Casey. “I didn’t recognize those two games in Milwaukee. But the intensity, the sense of purpose and the whole approach were totally different than I thought. “
Jerami Grant not restraining himself: Since the start of the regular season, striker Jerami Grant has found his place in the Pistons’ attack. In nine games, Grant has averaged 24.8 points and 6.4 rebounds. He hit 46.4% of his field shots, while he hit 36.4% of his shots from a distance of 3 points.
One reason, among others, Grant signed with the Pistons was to expand his contribution to the team in the attack. He is now one of the Pistons’ best snipers and is taking an average of 9.5 more shooting attempts this season than he did last season in Denver.
“I’m getting more and more comfortable,” said Grant. “I think everyone is doing a good job to make things a little easier – space the floor, cut and things like that. So you get more and more comfortable. We are still a new team. But I think we’re going in the right direction. “
Delon Wright finds the offensive groove again: The veteran guard started the first three games on a strong note. He scored 19 points in the Pistons’ double loss in overtime for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He then scored 18 points in the team’s clash against the Atlanta Hawks.
After that, Wright apparently fell into a rut, going 6 out of 21 on the field and 2 out of 9 out of three in the next five games.
On Friday, Wright stepped out of that routine to make seven of his 11 attempts to pitch for a 63 percent season record. He scored 16 points, distributed three assists and had a steal.
One of Wright’s assists proved to be in the winning basket. With 22.3 seconds to go, Wright paved the way for the painting with Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton on it. He crossed the base line to pull Cameron Johnson and then fired his pass to Grant, who touched corner three.
“It’s kind of going up and down. I started the season more comfortably, ”said Wright. “So, in the last few games I’ve been a little bored, I would say. It’s good for me to get that monkey off my back and play freely. That’s what the coach wants me to do, play freely, don’t think too much and just be solid. I am happy to have done this today and to help the team ”.