San Antonio at Detroit, Final Score: Pistons vanquish what's left of the Spurs, 96-122

03/25/2025 09:29 PM

A nightmarish game to watch

It wasn't an even fight, but the Spurs showed some heart in the second half despite the ugly final score.

The Spurs' offense was broken down in the first quarter, shooting 31 percent as they struggled to generate paint pressure against Detroit's size, length and athleticism. Their lone bright spot was making five 3-pointers, but three turnovers, 20 percent shooting in the lane and getting beat in transition set them back 30-22 going into the second quarter.

The deficit grew to 26 as the Spurs were helpless, making one shot through 11 minutes of the quarter. It was like watching a smaller, slower fighter with one punch face off with a bigger, stronger foe with a wide range of moves. Getting into the bonus for the last five minutes of the half bought them some points, but the Pistons started raising the pace, punishing the Spurs in the open court as well.

The team went into halftime shooting 24 percent from 3-point range with just six paint points and none on the break. They subsequently had a much stronger third quarter, outscoring the Pistons 35-28 and showed flashes early in the fourth quarter, but the Pistons would counter everything. The hosts didn't permit the Spurs to cut the deficit below 17 the rest of the game.

Observations

• Cade Cunningham missed his second-straight game because of a left calf contusion and Dennis Schröder started in his place. Even with that drop off, the Pistons were still able to create dribble penetration with others, and their half-court attack chopped up the Spurs. On top of that, the Pistons shot 48.4 percent on 3-point attempts because the Spurs overreacted to breakdowns. Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley and Marcus Sasser did the damage from short and long-range.
• Harrison Barnes and Julian Champagnie disappeared, combining for two shots in 16 tries. Some of their attempts were contested promptly, but they missed some makeable ones.
• Stephon Castle was ineffective in the first half, missing all seven of his shots, but he turned it around for a dominant offensive third quarter, making a 3-pointer and scoring on rim attacks.
• Vassell was the gunslinger, carrying the team with three triples and a jumper at the nail in the first quarter, but most of his teammates left him hanging. The only other Spur to score multiple baskets in the frame was Blake Wesley, who checked in after nearly eight minutes. Furthermore, Vassell added three treys and two paint strikes in the third quarter.
• The team had its worst scoring second quarter of the season with 12 points on 11 percent shooting. Their performance in this period and the defensive slippage in the fourth quarter will be the biggest issues the coaching staff points to in the film room.
• Without a shot-blocker, the Spurs are barbecue chicken in the back line, as Bismack Biymobo and Jeremy Sochan are no match for Detroit's muscle or speed. On the other side, Isaiah Stewart was like a heat-seeking missile as a helper, emphatically blocking Castle and Sochan at the cup. To boot, he's not really a big man, but Sandro Mamukelashvili was the most productive from the "power rotation," giving a spark with a few threes.