The Pistons 13th consecutive victory tied the team s record! Revealing the dark horse in the Eastern Conference has transformed again: hitting the 4th championship in team history

On November 25, the Pistons defeated the Pacers 122-117, winning 13 consecutive games, tying the team's winning streak, and continuing to lead the Eastern Conference with a record of 15 wins and 2 losses. Cunningham had 24 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists, and Duren had 17 points and 12 rebounds. It is worth mentioning that the first two 13-game winning streaks in the history of the Pistons (89-90 season and 03-04 season), they eventually won the championship in that season. Now they have begun to show their championship appearance and are expected to win the fourth championship in team history.

In fact, the Pistons were also a dark horse last season - the team got rid of the slump of the Monty Williams era and returned to the playoffs after 6 years. Cunningham has grown into a veritable number one core. The young players around him are highly productive. The veterans signed by new general manager Langdon have perfectly integrated into the system. Coach Bickerstaff's coaching has also been highly praised. Although they failed to advance beyond the first round, they had a very competitive matchup with the Knicks.

This core lineup once set an embarrassing record of 28 consecutive losses in 2023, and has now made great progress. Before the start of this season, they were widely regarded as a playoff-level team, especially when the top contenders in the East suffered from injuries. The outside world had high expectations for them.

However, one month into the season, the Pistons' performance is still amazing.

Currently, they rank first in the Eastern Conference with a record of 15 wins and 2 losses, and are on an unstoppable 13-game winning streak. These victories are not due to lucky shooting performances, nor are they the one-man show dominance of the team's core players, nor are they easy sweeps against weak teams. On the contrary, despite the team's multiple injuries and many strong opponents, the Pistons are now unstoppable in the league. What's the secret? They recreated the former glory of "Detroit Basketball" with a highly confrontational, oppressive defense that didn't give their opponents any breathing room.

Before this game, the Pistons' offensive efficiency ranked eighth in the league, their defensive efficiency ranked second, and their net efficiency ranked fourth. Bickerstaff convinced the entire team that allowing the opponent to score was a personal insult and must be stopped at all costs. Although this is not as good as the Pistons in the "Bad Boys" era, nor as good as the legendary defensive team that defeated OK when they won the first championship in team history, this defense is extremely impactful and makes every simple offensive move of the opponent extremely difficult.

Stewart still holds the title of "the league's most effective rim protector under 7 feet." Although the offensive load is heavier this season than last season, Cunningham has not let up at all on the defensive end. However, without Duren's huge leap this season, the Pistons' defensive data may not be able to reach today's heights. The fifth-year center from the University of Memphis has the physical fitness and athletic ability to dominate interior defense, but in the first four seasons, he only occasionally showed this talent, and most of the time he seemed slow and overwhelmed. Opponents also regard Duren as a weak link in defense and frequently launch targeted attacks on him.

The situation is completely different now. Duren's understanding of the defensive system finally caught up with his extraordinary physical talent: the total number of steals + blocks per game reached a career high of 2.0 times, and his personal defensive efficiency was 109.0. This is a key breakthrough for Duren and the Pistons, whose rookie contract is about to expire this offseason. At the same time, he also showed dominance on the offensive end. He has scored 30 points and 10 rebounds three times this season. His performance on both ends of the offense and defense formed a perfect complement.

At the beginning of this season, the Pistons were considered capable of establishing themselves in the Eastern Conference. Now they have proven with actions that they deserve to be considered a strong contender for the Eastern Conference championship - this young team has completed a crucial and unexpected jump.