The Detroit Pistons showcased their young talent to take down the Oklahoma City Thunder at home, forcing their losing streak to 9 games.
Josh Jackson led the Pistons in scoring with 29, including 12 in the fourth quarter. Frank Jackson and Saddiq Bey each added 18 and combined to grab 12 rebounds.
Luguentz Dort dropped a team-high 26 for the Thunder, including 3 threes.
The best performance of the night came from one of the Pistons’ first-round picks, Isaiah Stewart. Along with 15 points, he dominated the boards with 21 rebounds, including 9 off the offensive glass.
Pistons Injuries
The Pistons entered the game, missing a slew of key contributors, including Jerami Grant, Cory Joseph, and Mason Plumlee. The list totaled 7 different players and kept the Pistons’ rotation short.
The injuries shoved Pistons rookies and young players into the spotlight, where they shined. Seventh overall pick Killian Hayes started his first game on January 4. He joined Stewart and Bey, as the Pistons’ three first-round picks started their first-ever game together.
Hot Thunder Start
The Thunder shot a red-hot 60% from the field in the first frame. They were led by Darius Bazley, who dropped 10 points and shot 5-5 from inside the arc.
They also got it done on the defensive end, holding the Pistons to just 8 made field goals in the first. Dort, in particular, played solid defense, keeping Jackson scoreless after his first 4 shots.
Detroit Responds
After finding themselves down 15 midway through the second quarter, the Pistons rallied. They closed the first half on a 25-10 run to enter halftime tied at 56 points.
Everyone contributed for the Pistons, with four different players scoring a bucket on that run.
Despite the slow start, Jackson found himself leading all scorers with 15 at halftime.
Pistons Take Over
The Pistons defense reared its head in the second half. By the end of the game, the Thunder’s field goal percentage had dropped down to 40, and their three-point percentage, under twenty.
A strong third quarter gave the Pistons a 7-point lead that they held onto for the rest of the game.
Hayes racked up 7 assists, including a beautiful, full-court bounce-pass for a Bey bucket. He also threw multiple lobs to Stewart, who posted a game-high plus-20 plus-minus in his 32 minutes.
In fact, every Pistons starter recorded a positive plus-minus, while every Thunder starter posted a negative.
Stewart’s Career Game
Stewart’s 21 rebounds were not only a career-high but also a new Pistons rookie record. He snapped Andre Drummond’s previous record of 18 on his way to his fifth career double-double.
He also shot 7-12 from the field, continuing to stay on top of the league-wide rookie leaderboard for the highest FG% over the past 7 games.
“We just continued to fight,” Stewart told Bally Sports Detroit. “Tonight definitely helped our chemistry, we continued to just try to play well with each other.”
Up Next
The Thunder will continue their road trip in Toronto on Sunday, where they will attempt to stop their 9-game slide.
The Pistons will take a one-game road trip to Washington, to face the red-hot Wizards in a game that will be the second night of a back-to-back for both teams.
