Short-handed Pistons Halt Lakers’ Nine-Game Run, Keep East Lead
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DETROIT — The Detroit Pistons continue to silence skeptics, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 113-110 on Monday night and snapping L.A.’s nine-game winning streak despite playing without injured All-Star guard Cade Cunningham and forward Isaiah Stewart.
Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has molded the roster into one of the NBA’s stingiest units. Detroit ranks near the top of the league in defensive rating, leads the NBA in defensive Estimated Plus-Minus and also tops the chart in personal fouls, a sign of the club’s physical approach.
“I think it fits the Pistons culture,” center Jalen Duren said, referencing the franchise’s long-standing reputation for hard-nosed play dating back to the “Bad Boys” era and the 2004 championship team.
The victory kept Detroit in the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 spot two seasons removed from a 28-game losing skid. The transformation followed a front-office overhaul led by executive Trajan Langdon and the arrival of Bickerstaff, who implemented a defense-first blueprint. Off-season additions Duncan Robinson and Kevin Huerter have added shooting depth to the gritty core.
With Cunningham sidelined by a collapsed lung, rookie guard Daniss Jenkins stepped up against the Lakers, pouring in 30 points. Rookie wing Ausar Thompson has also emerged as a defensive force, currently sitting atop the league in defensive EPM.
“We believe we’re the best team in the East,” guard Caris LeVert said after Monday’s win. Around Detroit, that confidence no longer sounds far-fetched.
Source: Hoops Wire
