Pistons Lock Up No. 1 Seed in Eastern Conference for First Time Since 2007
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The Detroit Pistons have secured the top spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs for the first time since the 2006-07 season, the NBA announced on Saturday via Twitter. The clincher came with a lopsided road win in Philadelphia.
Detroit’s record now stands at 57-21 with four regular-season games remaining, guaranteeing home-court advantage throughout the conference postseason.
The Pistons have gone 8-2 since All-NBA guard Cade Cunningham suffered a collapsed lung on March 17. During that stretch, center Jalen Duren and guard Daniss Jenkins have carried much of the load. Detroit’s only losses in that span came in overtime against Atlanta and at Oklahoma City.
Duren, in his fourth NBA season, is averaging 22.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting 66.0% from the field and 83.8% at the free-throw line over nine games (he missed the Oklahoma City loss). Second-year guard Jenkins has produced 19.0 points, 7.7 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game across 10 contests, shooting .448 from the floor, .438 from three-point range and .911 at the stripe.
“With Cade here we were more relaxed, we knew we had more of a superstar to get us to wins,” swingman Ausar Thompson told ESPN’s Vincent Goodwill. “But since he’s been gone we all gathered around and knew we had to be more gritty, missing such a big piece. We had to make up for less offense on the defensive side.”
The Pistons will close the regular season with four games before opening the playoffs at Little Caesars Arena.
Source: Hoops Rumors
