PREMIUM
Stephen Nover's Unbeaten Pistons NBA Big Ticket
(NBA) Detroit vs. Orlando,
Point Spread: 3.50 | -104.00 Detroit (Away)
Result: Win
Point Spread: 3.50 | -104.00 Detroit (Away)
Result: Win
No matter how bad their roster looks, or how bad their last game was, it can be a mistake to automatically assume the Pistons are always going to get blown out. The youthful Pistons have a certain resiliency to them. Since Jan. 28 they have pulled off upset victories against the Lakers, Nets, Celtics and Pelicans.
Orlando just defeated Detroit, 105-96, two days ago at home. The major storyline was Nikola Vucevic and Evan Fournier combining to score 66 points.
But there were three other takeaways from that nine-point Detroit loss that shouldn't be overlooked:
No. 1. Detroit shot 37.4 percent from the floor. Detroit shoots 43.5 percent from the floor on the season. Orlando ranks 16th in defensive field goal percentage.
No. 2. Orlando shot 29 free throws, eight more free throws than Detroit. The Magic also made 26 giving them a 90 percent free throw shooting percentage. The Magic shoot 78.8 percent from the foul line on the season.
No. 3. Dennis Smith Jr. failed to adequately replace starting point guard Delon Wright, who is out for Detroit because of a groin strain. However, rookie Saben Lee stepped up and looked outstanding. This is what Pistons coach Dwane Casey said about Lee's performance: ''He's competitive, he's tough, he just sets the tone. The whole complexion of the game changed when he came in.''
The Pistons have displayed their competitiveness by covering seven of the past 10 times following a loss. They also had covered four straight versus the Magic until that last game.
Orlando just defeated Detroit, 105-96, two days ago at home. The major storyline was Nikola Vucevic and Evan Fournier combining to score 66 points.
But there were three other takeaways from that nine-point Detroit loss that shouldn't be overlooked:
No. 1. Detroit shot 37.4 percent from the floor. Detroit shoots 43.5 percent from the floor on the season. Orlando ranks 16th in defensive field goal percentage.
No. 2. Orlando shot 29 free throws, eight more free throws than Detroit. The Magic also made 26 giving them a 90 percent free throw shooting percentage. The Magic shoot 78.8 percent from the foul line on the season.
No. 3. Dennis Smith Jr. failed to adequately replace starting point guard Delon Wright, who is out for Detroit because of a groin strain. However, rookie Saben Lee stepped up and looked outstanding. This is what Pistons coach Dwane Casey said about Lee's performance: ''He's competitive, he's tough, he just sets the tone. The whole complexion of the game changed when he came in.''
The Pistons have displayed their competitiveness by covering seven of the past 10 times following a loss. They also had covered four straight versus the Magic until that last game.