You miss only one (big) being and everything is depopulated… Rudy Gobert absent, the Jazz bow for the 3rd time in a row, and this time, it is in Detroit, one of the dunces of the season. In the wake of Donovan Mitchell and Hassan Whiteside, Utah led by 22 points, before completely collapsing, and losing 126-116. This is the Pistons’ 4th victory in 2022.
However, everything had started very well for the Jazz with a first quarter started on a 13-2. Cade Cunninghamn is transparent, and Utah takes off to lead by 14 points after 12 minutes (35-21). It does not get better then since Whiteside walks in the racket, to give 20 points in advance (52-32). We’re still a long way from halftime, and we think Utah is going to have a quiet evening. Except that Killian Hayes wakes up, that Cade Cunningham imitates him, and at the break, Detroit has already reduced the gap (61-48).
On returning from the locker room, the Jazz is unrecognizable. There is no longer any defense, and the Pistons gain confidence. Cade Cunningham is transformed, and Detroit signs a 10-2 to come back to -5. Donovan Mitchell gives a little boost, but Cade Cunningham is on a cloud, and he equalizes (73-73). The match gains in intensity and quality, and Trey Lyles sanctions from afar to allow the Pistons to attack the last quarter with four points ahead (88-84).
Thanks to Eric Paschall, Utah takes back the controls but the young Pistons hang on. Cade Cunningham continues his festival, and Cory Joseph plays the X factors to give a 10 point lead (111-101). Jazz throws all its strength into the battle and the Conley-Mitchell duo pulls out all the stops. Except that Saddiq Bey drives the point home and Detroit wins 126-116!
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
Jazz with two faces. A perfect first quarter, and a catastrophic second half. The Jazz collected 78 points after the break, and it was “open door” operation. It is in this type of meeting that we really realize the importance of Rudy Gobert. He is the real leader of this team, much more than Donovan Mitchell whose defensive qualities disappear over the years.
The premiere of Rex Kalamian. Dwane Casey placed in solitary confinement, it was Kalamian who took over, and he had not coached a match for… 28 years! Assistant in the NBA since 1995, he therefore won his first victory against a prestigious opponent.
End of series. The Pistons remained on 10 straight losses against Utah. The last time Detroit won against Jazz was in January 2016, and the top scorers were Reggie Jackson and Ersan Ilyasova.
TOPS / FLOPS
✅ Cade Cunningham. He started the match with a 0/5, but he was right to insist. He scored 18 points in the only third quarter, and he dominated the second half with a head of the shoulders. A real boss in attitude and in deeds. Whether it’s with Killian Hayes or Cory Joseph by his side, he’s more and more comfortable.
✅ Saddiq Bey. He’s the perfect complement to Cade Cunningham, and he hurt a lot in the last quarter. While the stars of the Jazz tried to come back to the score, Bey calmed them by his distant address, but also his vista.
✅ The Pistons bench. While the Jazz unrolled its basketball, it was the replacements who brought the Pistons back to life with the Joseph-Lyles-Jackson trio. The first sign a 4 of 4 at 3-point, and he calmed his teammates in the last quarter when the Jazz were pushing hard.
✅⛔Hassan Whiteside. Pure Whiteside… At times, we say to ourselves that it is the best pivot on the planet, and at others, that it is the worst… In attack, he dominated Isaiah Stewart for a long time, but in defense, it really is a disaster. He only thinks about the rebound and the block, and he forgets the covers. We even saw him take out a ball for a Piston and take a dunk on the head without flinching.
THE FOLLOWING
Detroit (9-30) : Back-to-back complicated with a trip to Chicago.
Utah (28-13) : Return home on Wednesday to receive the great Cavaliers.
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126
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116
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