How the Detroit Pistons defeated the Chicago Bulls in divisional matchup

The Detroit Pistons kept the good times rolling in the new year with a 108-93 victory over the Chicago Bulls. Isaiah Stewart used a consistent night from the paint to step up for the Pistons with a team-leading 31 points.

Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu used crafty moves to battle back with 24 points of his own. The Illinois product and fifth-year Bull was nearly perfect from the floor in the first half, which kept Chicago on pace with the Pistons despite some solid nights from Detroit's starting five.

While the Pistons tried to take a more balanced approach to start things off, the Bulls opted to chip away at Detroit's defense with close-range strikes.

Chicago's barrage from the paint kept it just ahead in frustrating fashion, but the Bulls could never pull away with a comfortable lead as they couldn't find their rhythm from long range. The Pistons fired back with a handful of 3-point makes, but still stayed on pace with their midwestern rivals in the battle on the boards and with a number of missed tries on the inside.

How the Pistons stood tall on Wednesday night

The Bulls ended the night with 48 points in the paint, which nearly put them on par with their season average of just over 54 per contest.

The Bulls pulled ahead with a comfortable lead after the half as they outmatched the Pistons with a scoring surge. While Stewart and Duncan Robinson fought back with some much needed buckets, Chicago would stay just out of range behind the efforts of guard Kevin Huerter, forward Matas Buzelis and center Nikola Vucevic.

Buzelis would end the night with 20 points to pair with four makes on seven tries from the 3-point line. Stewart and Robinson kept the Pistons' 3-point attack alive as they closed out the night with six of the team's 12 long-range scores.

Nov. 12, 2025; Detroit Pistons v. Chicago Bulls. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images — Nov 12, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Duncan Robinson (55) runs up court after shooting a three point basket against the Chicago Bulls during the second half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images | David Reginek-Imagn Images

Detroit would ultimately seal the win with a bench-led run that pushed the Pistons to outscore the Bulls by a 16-point margin in the fourth quarter. Detroit's bench squad would hit just over 53% of their shots in the fourth and splashed home four 3-pointers, while the Bulls as a whole lagged behind with six makes on 18 tries from the floor.

Two 5-game win streaks have kept the Bulls afloat in what has ultimately been an up-and-down year for the division rival. Chicago has won 16 games and lost 20 since they first defeated Detroit to start its 2025-26 campaign.

The Bulls have pulled off a few notable wins against some of the league's winning squads this season, including a 10-point win over a potential conference contender in the New York Knicks in October, but still remain at 1-2 against the East's top squad in the Pistons this season.

The Pistons entered the night with a 2-1 record to start the new year and a 27-9 record over their defining regular season. They added to their comfortable lead at the top of the Eastern Conference following a key victory over the Knicks, where Cade Cunningham dropped 29 points and dished 13 of the Pistons' 25 assists in the home victory.

Detroit will need to keep its hot streak alive to stay ahead of the Boston Celtics, who won eight of their last 10 games before Wednesday's slate of matchups.

The Pistons will take on the Los Angeles Clippers at 7:30 p.m. EST on Saturday in Little Caesars Arena. The game will be broadcast on FanDuel Sports Network Detroit Extra.