Pistons register historic 30-game pace after win against Kings

The Detroit Pistons pulled off another West Coast road victory, which marked a significant milestone in the team’s history.

Defeating the Sacramento Kings 136-127 moved the Pistons forward to 24-6 this regular season. This marks the best 30-game start for the franchise since the 2005-06 season, when the Pistons went 25-5. They concluded the regular season with a franchise-best record of 64-18.

The Tuesday night matchup stamped the Pistons’ third consecutive victory and the second during the team’s Western Conference trip. Detroit’s lead reached as high as 24 points against Sacramento.

A balanced team attack helped anchor the Pistons in the decisive victory. Detroit did a great job sharing the ball offensively by dishing out 38 assists on 51 field goals. This translated to their transition production as the Pistons put up 27 fast break points and 70 points in the paint.

The Kings put up a fight throughout the night, but the Pistons managed to hold on for another much-needed win. Detroit survived a dominant scoring performance by star veteran DeMar DeRozan, who historically plays well against the Pistons. The 16-year forward led all scorers for the night, putting up 37 points at Golden 1 Center. He was impactful and efficient, threatening the Pistons by knocking down 12-of-18 shots from the field.

More dominance from Jalen Duren

One of the leaders of the Pistons’ balanced performance came from breakout center Jalen Duren. The 22-year-old big man had his way against the Kings with his 17th double-double of the season, recording 23 points and 13 rebounds. Seven of those boards came from the offensive side of the glass. Duren shared his views on why these West Coast road trips have been so beneficial for the Pistons, dating back to last season.

“I think the success we had. I think we had a stretch of a good game against LA (Lakers) and Phoenix (Suns). I think we just caught our stride around that time of the season. I think it was around this time of the year, too. We had new guys that we got to mesh with. I think this group caught our stride a little earlier in the year this season, but I think this trip is going to be good for us to test our abilities against the West Coast.”

Last season’s west coast visit featured significant wins on the road against the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Sacramento Kings. The only loss they suffered was against the Denver Nuggets during the span. Detroit is still scheduled to play against the Utah Jazz, the Los Angeles Clippers, and the Los Angeles Lakers this season.

Duren showed out in another third quarter like he did in the game prior against the Portland Trailblazers. He went off for 14 of his 23 points in that period along with solid defense to go with it.

Power forward Tobias Harris led the Pistons in scoring with 24 points of his own. All-Star guard Cade Cunningham matched Duren with his own 23-point triple double by adding in 14 assists. Forward Ausar Thompson continues his hot stretch of great basketball by scoring 19 points and grabbing six rebounds. Backup center Isaiah Stewart put up 16 points for the Pistons off the bench.

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