Block Party in Motown: Victor Wembanyama and San Antonio Spurs Snap Detroit Pistons’ Streak
Heavyweight Feel at Little Caesars Arena
The Detroit Pistons – Feb 24 recap starts right here, and it felt every bit like a June preview.
What was billed as a potential NBA Finals matchup between the East’s top-seeded Pistons and the Western powerhouse Spurs ended in a 114-103 loss for Detroit at Little Caesars Arena. The five-game winning streak? Gone. Snapped in emphatic fashion.
Detroit still owns the best record in the East at 42-14. But this game was a reminder. If you want to hang a banner, you’re going to have to solve the tallest problem in basketball.
Wembanyama vs Cunningham: MVP Energy
This was marketed as a clash between two MVP-caliber stars: Cade Cunningham and Victor Wembanyama.
On this night, the towering Frenchman controlled the fight.
Wembanyama finished with 21 points, 17 rebounds, and six blocks. And honestly? The six blocks don’t tell the full story. He changed everything.
Cade still posted a double-double — 16 points and 10 assists — but it was a historically tough shooting night. He went just 5-of-26 from the field. Every drive felt crowded. Every layup attempt felt rushed. That wasn’t accidental.
That was Wembanyama living at the rim.
The Geometry of the Game Changed
This turned into a defensive block party Detroit wanted no part of.
Wembanyama wasn’t just contesting shots. He was altering decisions. You could see the hesitation from Pistons guards and wings when they turned the corner. The paint felt off-limits.
When the rim is sealed off like that, you’re forced to live and die from outside.
And Detroit died from outside.
Three-Point Gap Told the Story
The biggest difference in this game wasn’t effort. It wasn’t rebounding. It wasn’t toughness.
It was math.
Detroit shot 7-of-36 from three. That’s 19.4%.
San Antonio? 18-of-40. A blistering 45%.
Devin Vassell lit it up with 28 points, knocking down 7-of-11 from deep. The Spurs played inside-out basketball to perfection. Wembanyama sucked the defense in. Shooters made them pay.
That’s a brutal combo.
Jalen Duren’s Monster Night
Lost in the frustration was an absolute battle performance from Jalen Duren.
Duren put up 25 points and 14 rebounds on 10-of-13 shooting. He didn’t back down. He didn’t disappear. He attacked.
On most nights, that’s a win.
Against a generational rim protector on a night your team shoots under 20% from three? It wasn’t enough.
Tempers Flare, Physical Edge Shows
This one had some edge to it.
In the second quarter, things escalated after Cunningham was called for an offensive foul on Stephon Castle. A brief skirmish followed involving Keldon Johnson and Duren.
Double technicals. Heated crowd. Playoff vibe.
Detroit was already without Isaiah Stewart, who continues serving a seven-game suspension. Duren had just returned from his own league-imposed absence. The physical tone head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has built is real.
Ronald Holland II brought juice off the bench with 15 points and 11 boards. The energy was there.
The shot-making wasn’t.
Stat Capsule 📊🏀
Game Leaders
- Duren: 25 PTS, 14 REB (10-13 FG)
- Cunningham: 16 PTS, 10 AST (5-26 FG)
- Wembanyama: 21 PTS, 17 REB, 6 BLK
- Vassell: 28 PTS (7-11 3PT)
Team Shooting
- Pistons: 7-36 (19.4%) from three
- Spurs: 18-40 (45%) from three
Hustle & Control
- Rebounding battle: competitive
- Paint intimidation: Spurs edge
- Three-point variance: decisive factor
What This Means If It’s a Finals Preview
If this is what June could look like, Detroit just got valuable film.
You’re not beating a team that protects the rim like that and shoots 45% from three unless you’re sharp. The margin for error is razor thin.
The good news? Detroit won’t shoot 19% from three very often. Floor spacers like Duncan Robinson (13 points, 3 threes on 11 attempts) are capable of better nights. Adjustments will come.
This loss stings. But it teaches.
Up next, the Pistons host the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, February 25. Another heavyweight test. Another measuring stick.
🤔Food for Thought
If this really was a Finals preview, did this game make you more confident in Detroit — or expose a real matchup problem? Drop a comment below or join the conversation in the Pistons Hardwood Hub — where fans break down every game, every angle.”
Info gathered from team reports, pressers & trusted media outlets — the way we always do it at Mitten Sports Talk.
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