ORLANDO, Florida— The Detroit Pistons (9-22) are undoubtedly in a rebuilding year. Before the year even started, the sense from Pistons’ fans was that the roster was at least a few years and a few pieces away from being competitive. But with increased roles, their young stars are making the most of the opportunities in front of them.
With rookie Killian Hayes and veteran Delon Wright both injured, the Pistons have turned to former lottery-pick Dennis Smith Jr. and rookie Saben Lee to run their offense. In the Tuesday night matchup with the Orlando Magic (13-19), the young point guards thrived; they combined for 35 points on 14-20 shooting from the field to lead the Pistons to a 105-93 victory in Orlando.
Smith Jr. played his best game since being acquired on February 8 in a trade with the Knicks. His 14 points mark a season-high for him for either the Pistons or the Knicks. Coming off the bench, Saben Lee provided 28 minutes to spell Smith Jr. He led the way in scoring with a career-high 21 points, 4 assists, and 3 three-pointers. Those 3 made-threes were the first of his career. Lee talked with FOX Sports Detroit about his dynamic performance.
“Just staying ready. My name was called, I went out there and just trying to help my team win any way I can, whether it be defense or assisting. So whatever I can do to help this team win, that is kind of what I want to do and my mentality heading into the game,” said Lee.
Elite defense helps split back-to-back games with Magic
On Sunday, it was the Magic whose offense claimed a double-digit win over the Pistons in the first game of back-to-back matchups. Head coach Dwayne Casey’s team came out with a different level of intensity on Tuesday, and it helped swing the game their way. They held the Magic to 37.5% shooting from the field and held them under 100 points.
Nikola Vucevic, the all-star center for the Magic, led the way in scoring with 20 points. But the Pistons did a good job keeping him contained, as he shot just 9-22 from the field and 2-8 from three. The defensive effort was critical; Vucevic, Evan Fournier, and Terrence Ross were limited to just 47 combined points after scoring 83 in the Sunday matchup.
For the Pistons, their ability to turn that defense into offense also helped open up the lead. They forced 12 Magic turnovers, capitalizing on them for 20 points off turnovers. Their ability to own the fast break game (16 points to 12) also allowed them to dominate the paint (56 points in the paint to 36). Forward Josh Jackson said that they were ready to go for Tuesday’s matchup after the game on Sunday.
“I just feel like tonight we had a little bit more in mind of what to expect from those guys. The other day, they came out, we knew they were a really good team… I just feel like it was a surprise to everybody how good these guys were and how little space they need to get their shots off.”
Up Next
Pistons @ Pelicans, Wednesday, February 24, Smoothie King Center, New Orleans
LA Magic @ Nets, Thursday, February 25, Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
