The Pistons won 120-104 over the Thunder, the No. 1 team in the West, and the game became a surprise victory. As the first-to-last Pistons, they exceeded all expectations, bringing surprise and delight to fans. It is worth mentioning that on the same day, the Spurs, who are in the bottom of the West, also defeated the Timberwolves, who are second in the West, and the results of these two games have sparked thoughts and discussions among fans about the surprise victory.
The Pistons' victory this season has not been easy, and the first five victories were against teams with less than 50% win rate in the East, and this victory they defeated the Thunder, who won more than 70%, which is also very rare in NBA history. The last time the Pistons beat a team with a win percentage above 50% was against the Nets last January. The Pistons' victory was a breakthrough and raised questions about the authenticity of the victory.
After the game, Thunder coach Daigneault was confused and helpless about his team's loss in an interview. He thinks the Pistons are more energetic, grabbing more rebounds and gaining more confidence. The Thunder fell into passivity, couldn't bounce back from it, and ultimately lost the game. Dagneault explained the decision not to send Alexander and Lou Dott in the final quarter, saying that according to the trend of the game, the Thunder could not recover the score, and also considered the team's future schedule, so they chose to rest the main players. However, this explanation was not accepted by the fans, who were disappointed and angry at the Thunder's performance.
The biggest contributor to this game was Duren of the Pistons, who showed excellent all-round ability throughout the game. He played 30 minutes and shot 692%, contributing 22 points, 21 rebounds, 6 assists and 1 block. As the top player of the year, Duren showed very good quality, and his performance put a lot of pressure on Chet of the Thunder. Another secret of the Pistons is Alexander, who hit three-pointers in this game, scoring 31 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal, showing a very high shooting percentage, which caused a huge impact on the Thunder.
However, the Thunder's performance in the game was not as good as it could be. Several players on the team didn't play well and couldn't cope with the Pistons' offense. In particular, Holmgren's performance was particularly bad, shooting just 36 from the field4%, conceded a lot of rebounding scrambles, which had a negative impact on the team. If the Thunder don't get back to form soon, Holmgren's Rookie of the Year title could be snatched away by Wembanyama.
The Pistons also had a number of players sidelined for this game, including the likes of Cunningham, Wiseman and Gallinari. Despite this, the Pistons relied on the strength of the team and the indomitable fighting spirit of the players to defeat the Thunder. The victory once again proved the existence of miracles in basketball and conveyed to the fans the belief that if you keep trying, you have a chance to overcome all odds.
Next, the Thunder and Timberwolves will face off in back-to-back matches, and their standings will be directly affected. However, they can't ignore the Clippers behind them either. The Clippers currently have a 30-14 record, just behind the first win in the West. The Clippers have been outstanding, having won five in a row to catch up. In the future, the Clippers' opponents include the Cavaliers, Wizards, Pistons, Heat, and Hawks, all of which should not be underestimated. If the Clippers can continue their winning streak, they will be on track to make a breakthrough in the Western Conference standings.
Everyone may have a different opinion about the Thunder, Timberwolves, and Clippers rankings. And this stunning victory has changed the fans' assessment of the team's strength. Regardless of the outcome, this game will add more excitement to the battle for the Western Conference standings.