Bucks Overwhelm Pistons in 116-91 Blowout
This one was far beyond ugly. Following two unreal performances by the Pistons, this matchup proved that the past week may have been an outlier. Two nights ago, the team collectively played with rich chemistry and knocked down shots consistently and effortlessly - it all appeared so natural. These were all keys to keeping it so close and only falling short by two points to the same Eastern Conference powerhouse. However, everything that went right in that matchup went wrong in this one.
The Greek Freak Unleashed
Giannis was a man amongst boys in the first half and spurts throughout the third quarter. He refused to be denied at the rim and played at a pace that none of Detroit's bigs could keep up with. He abused the pick-and-rolls early in the shot clock to take advantage of the Pistons' "switch-everything" defensive schemes. Time and time again, he forced a switch onto an undersized big, if not a smaller guard. Mismatch trouble came early and contributed to the third-quarter demise of the Pistons - our guys just could not keep up.
Cade's Tough Game
Number 2 has been feasting this past week and has directly impacted the Pistons' recent success against premier teams in the NBA. His ability to start hot and stay hot was the primary reason for his latest scoring clinics - including his career-high 35-point performance. This was just not the case tonight, as he started 0-4 and only scored his first points a few minutes into the second quarter. His early struggles impacted his confidence, and his lack of aggression was more than evident throughout the rest of the matchup. He finished with a mere 10 points, 4 assists, and 6 rebounds - leaving a lot to be desired.
