NBA 2018-19: Detroit Pistons vs Golden State Warriors: 3 Talking points

Final Score: Detroit Pistons beat Golden State Warriors, 111-102

Stats:

Pistons- Field Goals 43-98 (43.9%), 60 rebounds, 22 assists, 8 steals.

Warriors- Field Goals 39-85 (45.9%), 51 rebounds, 23 assists, 6 steals.

It was a second consecutive night that Pistons were defending the home court fighting fatigue and soreness backed by the home crowd and a good conference record.

It was the first game for Stephen Curry after recovering from a groin injury three weeks ago. It is rare to see Warriors trailing in three pointers conversion with the excellence of Splash Brothers and Kevin Durant shooting the ball. But in this game Pistons topped Warriors shooting 23.1% (6-26) 3 pointers. Pistons converted 34% (12-35) of their 3 point shots.

Pistons led the game almost for the entire time with Warriors trying to bounce back time and again but were limited to 102 points by an amazing show put by Pistons bench defensively. Stanley Johnson came off the bench with 19 points and 7 rebounds in 22 minutes that he played in a convincing win against the defending champions.

#3 Return of Stephen Curry

Curry was sidelined from action for 3 weeks after suffering a groin injury against Milwaukee Bucks on November 8. On his return, he dropped 27 points, 5 rebounds, 3 dimes and 2 steals in 36 minutes. He looked in his zone while converting 10 of 21 field goal attempts (3-9 3pt, 4-4 ft).

Curry in his post-game interview said:

"It felt good to be back out there. But in the first half I was going 100 mph without my timing being back. In the second half, I played a lot closer to where I want to be. The shots started falling and I was aggressive without making stupid plays."

Apart from the Splash brothers, Curry and Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant was the only Warrior to score in double digits. All members of the Warriors Big 3 scored 20+ points in the loss.

#2 Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin showing All-Star forms

The duo lit the Little Caesars Arena with electrifying performances in the win against Warriors. Drummond recorded a double-double by putting up 16 points and 19 rebounds. Drummond is averaging 16.4 rebounds, 18.6 points this season and is expected to rain double-doubles all season long.

Blake Griffin put up a good show with 26 points (9-22 fg, 2-9 3pt, 6-6 ft), 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Griffin is one of the guys we can expect to see at the All-Star game in Charlotte. The last time he made an appearance at the event was in 2015.

Also, not at the top, but his name is among the ones in the NBA MVP ladder this season. After having a troubling exit from the Los Angeles Clippers last year, he has definitely gelled well as a Piston and is leading the team in points(24.9) and assists(5.1).

With his defensive powerhouse and dominance in the paint, Drummond is also making his case for the All-Star selection after appearing in 2016 and 2018.

#1 Detroit bench seals the deal

Stanley Johnson dunking the ball against Warriors

Dwane Casey is known for the tough decisions he makes while the clock is running down. He made Drummond and Griffin sit out for more than 5 minutes in the second and fourth quarter each and made the Detroit bench outscore Warriors by 42-13.

Stanley Johnson posted a teriffic 19 points and Bruce Brown was commendable in holding off Curry with his defense. Ish Smith showed some amazing basketball while scoring 11 points off the bench in 22 minutes.

Detroit stands 4th in the Westen Conference with 14-9 record. More home games are to be played in the Christmas month. Let's see if Casey and company can defend their home court as they have done so far.

Casey had some appreciation for his Pistons and said:

"Guys are playing their roles, accepting their role, embracing it and being the MVP in their role. I think that's so important, understanding this is a team game."