Chicago — Coach J.B. Bickerstaff wasn’t happy with the way the Detroit Pistons ended their six-game homestand on Sunday. Although they came away with a 10-point victory against the Charlotte Hornets at Little Caesars Arena, Bickerstaff did not feel his players played up to the standard they set for themselves after they nearly blew a 28-point lead.
Against the Chicago Bulls two nights later, the Pistons repeated their first-half dominance. However, unlike their game against the Hornets, the Pistons sustained their play for the entire 48 minutes, resulting in a 132-92 victory at the United Center on Tuesday night.
Malik Beasley and Ausar Thompson set the Pistons’ early tone by scoring nine and eight points, respectively, in the first quarter, giving Detroit a 34-18 lead. Even with complete control, the Pistons increased their intensity on both ends during the second quarter, which resulted in the sellout crowd at the United Center booing their home team.
Halfway through the period, the Pistons (28-26) went on a 29-4 run. At the 9:15 mark, Ayo Dosunmu (eight points) scored on a running layup attempt for the Bulls. However, Chicago missed 14 consecutive field goals over the next seven minutes. The Bulls did not make their next basket until the 2:02 mark when Nikola Vucevic (eight points) nailed a hook shot.
BOX SCORE: Pistons 132, Bulls 92
By intermission, the Pistons held a commanding 71-29 lead, marking their largest halftime advantage in franchise history. Detroit outscored the Bulls 37-11 during the quarter.
Thompson continued to showcase his all-around potential by recording 16 points, four steals, three assists and two blocks. Cade Cunningham, who sat at the 1:48 mark of the third quarter, finished with 20 points, seven assists and six rebounds. Tobias Harris also subbed out of the game early and accounted for 18 points.
Beasley scored a game-high 24 points, shooting 7-of-10 from beyond the arc. His final 3-point field goal at the beginning of the fourth quarter broke the franchise record for the most triples in a single season. He currently has 212 made 3-point field goals, surpassing Saddiq Bey’s previous record of 211 set in 2022.
Matas Buzelis led the Bulls with 12 points. Josh Giddey added 11 points, six rebounds and four assists.
Observations and notes vs. Bulls
▶ Second-quarter annihilation: While scoring 37 points in the second quarter, the Pistons shot 56.5% from the field and 57.1% on 3-point shooting. Chicago shot a dreadful 14.8% from the floor, 1-of-15 from deep.
▶ Waters’ debut: Lindsey Waters, who the Pistons acquired alongside Dennis Schröder from the Golden State Warriors, made his debut for Detroit and played eight minutes.
▶
Pistons win regular-season series: With this victory, the Pistons raised their record to 3-1 for the year vs. the Bulls, securing the regular-season series against their longtime rival. This also marks the first time since the Pistons’ 4-0 sweep against Chicago during the 2018-19 season.
Up next
The Pistons will continue their four-game road trip on Wednesday, marking the end of a back-to-back set against the Chicago Bulls. The two-game series at the United Center will also be the final game before the All-Star break. The Pistons will resume their road trip against the San Antonio Spurs on Feb. 21. Tip-off between the Pistons and Bulls is slated for 8 p.m.
@cotydavis_24
