When trailing by 22 points to the Boston Celtics in the third quarter, the Detroit Pistons relied on their blueprint. The one thing they are famed for.
Suffocating defense.
With that, Detroit stalled Jayson Tatum, forced five turnovers in the second, and contested nearly every long-range shot the Celtics launched. In turn, that resulted in a whopping 23-0 run that ultimately decided the game on opening night, as the Pistons rallied to win 121-113.
For head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, the defensive game plan almost revolved around one man who changed the game without being as impactful on the offensive side.
Bickerstaff said the Pistons stifled Tatum, mainly because of Ausar Thompson, who cemented his role as Detroit's primary defensive weapon.
“Ausar Thompson, that simple,” Bickerstaff said afterwards when asked how the Pistons managed to quieten Tatum. “You get him in one-on-one situations, you’re going to be in for a long night, no matter who you are.”
Thompson by the numbers
Boston got 38 points out of Paul George, a franchise best for a player making his debut, but one man can’t win a game, especially not against a team that has the talent that the Pistons have.
They needed Tatum, but he couldn’t get into a groove. He shot a woeful 6-for-23 from the field and failed to convert a triple out of seven attempts. That was down to Thompson’s suffocating defense, staying in front of him, shuffling his feet quickly and staying composed throughout.
Tatum finished with a double-double of 13 points and 11 assists, but his field-goal percentage drew the most attention. It took him 23 field goal attempts to get 11 points – hardly a good return.
On the contrary, Thompson added 11 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 4-for-8 from the floor. He isn’t going to be the Pistons’ first choice on offense, that is obvious, but he knocked down his shots and came through down the stretch as well.
He hit a clutch six-foot pull-up jumper with 41 seconds remaining to extend Detroit's lead to 116-110 and seal the massive 22-point comeback victory. Supported by 22-point performances from both Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren.
Leading up to the season, once Duren had signed his new contract, the Pistons looked like a different team. One that had a three-point threat in Isaiah Joe and extra room to space the floor in John Collins, who could possibly complement Cunningham’s scoring.
But when it came down to it, Detroit basketball went back to what it’s always known for to get the job done.
Defense.
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