Through the regular season’s first 10 games, a gritty identity has helped the Detroit Pistons on the road.
Ahead of a rematch with the reeling Washington Wizards on Thursday night, Detroit will look to continue its success away from home.
The Pistons will begin a stretch that will see them play four consecutive road games and six of the next seven away from home. Playing in enemy territory hasn’t been a problem so far for coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s team, which has gone 4-1 on the road.
A contributing factor has been Detroit’s defense, which ranks third in the NBA with an average of 104.6 points allowed per game.
“Being able to stick to our identity and having a clear picture of what Pistons basketball is,” Bickerstaff said of what gives his team confidence. “Every single night trying to be the most selfless and competitive team on the floor. We’ll obviously have our moments over 82 games when things can get a little lopsided, but for the most part, we live the identity of Pistons basketball, and that gives us the foundation.”
Detroit beat visiting Washington 122-111 on Monday thanks to a season-high 24 points from veteran John Collins. The 10-year pro was acquired by trade in July and is revered by Bickerstaff as more than just a leader in the locker room.
“He was just involved (on Monday), and I think that’s the most important thing for him,” Bickerstaff said of Collins. “We’re trying to find that balance when he’s at the four, versus the five. … We want to try to find ways to get him involved because of what he’s done in the past.”
Collins is averaging 10.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. The Pistons are led by Cade Cunningham and Duncan Robinson, who are averaging 22.3 and 18.6 ppg, respectively.
Meanwhile, Washington enters the second half of a back-to-back set after suffering its fifth straight loss on Wednesday, 114-101 to the Indiana Pacers. Coach Brian Keefe’s team dropped all four games on its most recent road trip and was outscored 37-24 in the fourth quarter against the Pacers.
“You got to give a little credit to Indiana,” Keefe said. “They upped their physicality, and we didn’t handle it well. We’ll take a look at it. We’ll learn from that and get ready to go tomorrow.”
On the heels of three consecutive 60-loss seasons, Washington doesn’t want to spiral into another prolonged losing streak. The Wizards, who suffered three skids of at least 10 games — 16, 14 and 10 — last season, will try to avoid stagnant possessions on offense in hopes of ending an early rough patch.
“I think there are some good stretches, but we have to find it more consistently,” Keefe said. “When we do that, we’re a good team. But you’ve got to sustain that over 48 minutes.”
Anthony Davis leads Washington with averages of 25.2 points and 10 rebounds per contest, and Trae Young adds 18.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 8.3 assists.
The Wizards have lost five straight home games against the Pistons, last beating the Eastern Conference foe in the nation’s capital on March 14, 2023.
