We found the Pistons from last season… A very sad, irregular team without a bench. Tonight, Cade Cunningham’s teammates lost 120-99 to Washington, and frankly there wasn’t much to gain from it. Admittedly, the start of the match was correct, mainly thanks to Bojan Bogdanovic who had allowed Detroit to take the lead (19-18). But the Croatian is very much alone, and when the two coaches begin their replacements, the Pistons no longer look like much. Opposite, Kristaps Porzingis walks in the racket, Will Barton sanctions from afar and Daniel Gafford recalls that he has safe hands (41-34).
Bogdanovic’s return is good, but Barton answers him with 3-pointers, and at the break, Washington is in front (56-49). Back from the locker room, no Beal, but Porzingis continues his festival, and he receives the support of Kyle Kuzma. The enthusiasm is on the Wizards side, and the gap swells (69-54). Cunningham may wake up, but the Wizards have their hands on the game.
This is all the more obvious as Beal comes back into play to finish the job. Stepback, nice passes, 3-points… Washington’s leader definitely pushes the Pistons away, and Washington signs a third victory in four games.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
— Bradley Beal’s injury exit. Embarrassed by his back, Beal left his teammates in the first half. Fortunately, nothing serious since he came back to finish the job. The good news is that Washington did not seem disturbed by his absence.
— The Black Series. This is the 15th defeat in a row for the Pistons in the capital! It must be said that the players of Dwane Casey never seemed really concerned by this meeting. Admittedly, the rookies bring envy, but alongside them, it lacks cohesion and binder.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Kristaps Porzingis. Bradley Beal glued to the bench, the Latvian took responsibility. He’s clearly back to his best, and it’s interesting to see him post his defender to get closer to the circle.
✅ Kyle Kuzma. He’s the free spirit of Washington’s offense, and he excels at transition play and counterattacks. He is a great guy in the 3rd quarter, and he finishes with 25 points at 9 of 17 on shots.
✅ Bojan Bogdanovic. Since the start of the season, he hasn’t had much to reproach himself for. He is very consistent, and as soon as he leaves the field, the Pistons are lost. 25 points in 29 minutes, with just 13 shots.
⛔ Killian Hayes. If the entire Pistons bench is to blame, the Frenchman is the worst of them all: 0/6 on shots, no assists, four stray bullets. Each of his stray bullets turned into a counterattack for Washington.
THE FOLLOWING
Washington (1-3) : Friday trip to Indiana.
Detroit (1-3) : back-to-back with the reception of the Hawks this Wednesday evening.
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