Ranking Detroit Pistons Best Games This Season Before All-Star Break

With a record of 40-13 heading into the All-Star break, the Detroit Pistons are sitting comfortably at the top of the Eastern conference and multiple clutch performances have made it happen.

Jan 30, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) holds onto a rebound next to center Jalen Duren (0) against the Golden State Warriors in the fourth quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

The 2026 Detroit Pistons rank No. 2 in the entire NBA in points differential. This stat shows the amount of points a team scores minus the amount a team allows, divided by the amount of games they've played in the regular season.

Points differential is the average scoring margin per game. The Pistons hold a positive points differential of +7.9. Despite the ease Detroit has had with winning this season regardless of who is in and out of the lineup, the Pistons have played in a few tough games.

From flagrant and technical fouls to game winners and paint dominance, Detroit basketball is back in a big way this season.

Nov 10, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Daniss Jenkins (24) goes to the basket defended by Washington Wizards forward Cam Whitmore (1) in overtime at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

No. 3: Pistons hold Nuggets behind Tobias Harris and great defense

Without Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray was on an offensive warpath trying to drag his team to a win. On January 27, Murray scored 12 points in the fourth quarter and 25 points in the entire game. Detroit jumped to a 31 to 18 lead at the end of the first quarter, but a late surge of offense resulted in one of the most fun games of the season for the Pistons.

With the Pistons up by one point and 20 seconds left of regulation on the clock, forward Tobias Harris caught a quick pass from Cade Cunningham while in the post and stepped back off of Nuggets guard Peyton Watson to sink a midrange jumper. This put the Pistons up by three points.

Murray went on to miss two of six free throws in the final 3.5 seconds of regulation after he was fouled on two separate three-point attempts. Pistons went on to win the game 109 to 107.

No. 2: Pistons secure season series against Celtics after dramatic win

The Celtics broke Detroit's 13-game win streak in November in heartbreaking fashion. The Pistons were down three with Cade Cunningham on the free throw line. He missed the final of three free throws to lose by three points. Detroit redeemed themselves against Boston December 15, but on January 19 they secured the season series.

This was a game that didn't end on constant intentional fouls and drama on the free throw line. On a night that Cunningham missed 13 shots from the field, he dished out 14 assists and still chipped in 16 points on eight made free throws. With one minute and 37 seconds left in the game, Tobias Harris swished a corner three to bring the Pistons up by five points.

Detroit wouldn't score again for the rest of the game.

Four points from Celtics superstar Jaylen Brown brought the game to a one point difference. With 24 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Harris shot a three in the corner but missed wildly. This final sequence would define the first half of Detroit's season.

Ausar Thompson secured an offensive rebound, Cunningham missed a dagger midrange jumper, and Jalen Duren kept the ball alive with an offensive rebound that was slammed out of bounds by momentum. Thompson hustled there to try to save the ball, but he had already been out of bounds.

Brown missed a tough fadeaway jumper in the midrange against as Harris rose up to put a hand in his face. Harris had allowed Brown's last floater to bring Boston up to 103, so saving this shot was redemption for him and the team. Detroit's brand of basketball shined in this clutch Eastern conference matchup.

No. 1: The Daniss Jenkins Game

Pistons rookie Daniss Jenkins hadn't shot more than six shots in the five games he had been active in before November 10. Jenkins played 34 minutes and made the most of every second. The guard exploded for 24 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and four steals, but the story went beyond an impressive stat line.

With 12 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Pistons were down five points. A missed floater from Cunningham led to an offensive rebound and a dish to Jenkins who swished a three to make it a two-point game. A missed free throw from Kyshawn George opened the door for a three-pointer to tie the game. With little time left to inbound the ball and little space to shoot the ball, Jenkins launched another three, this time in the corner, into the basket and brought the game into overtime.

Defense, clutch scoring, and hustle rebounding kept the game in Detroit's grasp in overtime to cap off the best Pistons game of the regular season.