Pistons vs Thunder Recap Feb 26: Detroit Handles Business in 124–116 Win
If you were at Little Caesars Arena Wednesday night, you probably had two thoughts.
First: this was supposed to be a marquee matchup.
Second: this didn’t exactly look like one.
The Pistons beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 124–116, improving to 43–14. On paper, it goes down as another quality win over a Western Conference contender. In reality, OKC showed up severely shorthanded — and still managed to make Detroit work longer than most expected.
The Marquee That Wasn’t
Let’s start here, because it matters.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (abdominal strain) — out.
Chet Holmgren (back spasms) — out.
Jalen Williams (hamstring) — out.
Alex Caruso (ankle) — out.
Isaiah Hartenstein — held out for injury management.
That’s not a minor tweak to the rotation. That’s the core of the roster.
Fans who paid premium prices expecting a clash of stars instead got a Thunder lineup built on “next man up.” And even that group took more hits as the night went on, with Isaiah Joe and Branden Carlson exiting in the first half, leaving OKC down to nine available players.
And to their credit, they competed.
Jaylin Williams had a career night. The remaining rotation spaced the floor, knocked down 18 threes, and kept cutting the deficit into single digits. For a roster missing its offensive engine and defensive anchor, that’s no small thing.
But let’s also be honest.
When the opponent is that compromised, there are no excuses for letting it slip.
Detroit didn’t.
Cade Cunningham Picked His Spots
Cade finished with 29 points and 13 assists, but the game didn’t start with him forcing the issue. For much of the first half, he let the offense flow. He worked through the pick-and-roll. He moved the ball. He let the game come to him.
Then OKC made its push.
The Thunder trimmed the lead in the fourth. The crowd quieted just a bit. That’s when Cade stepped in. A strong finish in traffic. A mid-range pull-up. A drive that collapsed the defense and led to an open look.
He flew under the radar early, then took over when the game tightened.
That’s what you want from your franchise guard.
Jalen Duren Made It Simple
If there was one area OKC simply couldn’t handle, it was the interior.
Duren finished with 29 points and 15 rebounds, going 12-of-17 from the field. Detroit repeatedly fed him in the paint, and he delivered — seals, putbacks, lobs, strong finishes through contact.
The Pistons outscored the Thunder 70–32 in the paint. That’s the game.
They lost the three-point battle 18–9 and still walked away comfortable because every half-court possession felt like it ended within arm’s reach of the rim.
That’s recognition. Detroit saw the mismatch and stayed with it.
Effort Plays Matter
Midway through the fourth quarter, Detroit had a possession that said everything.
Missed shot.
Offensive rebound.
Another miss.
Another rebound.
Kick-out to Javonte Green.
Three.
It wasn’t pretty. It was persistence.
That sequence pushed the lead back to two possessions and took the air out of OKC’s comeback attempt. Against a depleted opponent, you don’t let hanging around turn into belief. Detroit didn’t.
Ausar Continues to Impact the Game
Ausar Thompson finished with 11 points, seven assists, three steals, and two blocks, and you felt his fingerprints all over the third quarter.
When the offense stalled, he jumped passing lanes and created transition opportunities. He switched across positions without hesitation. His defensive instincts continue to be a difference-maker.
There are still moments where he drives into traffic and forces the issue. That part of his game needs refinement. But those are correctable mistakes happening on a team that’s winning.
That’s a good place to learn.
The Details Still Matter
Detroit committed 17 turnovers. That number needs to shrink, especially with Cleveland next on the schedule.
Allowing 18 made threes isn’t ideal either. Some of that is modern NBA math. Some of that is closeout discipline.
But here’s the difference with this group compared to a few years ago: when OKC made a run, Detroit didn’t panic. They didn’t start launching bad shots. They went back inside and kept executing.
That’s maturity.
This wasn’t a masterpiece. It wasn’t a showdown of full-strength heavyweights.
It was Detroit taking care of business against a compromised opponent and refusing to let it turn into something complicated.
At 43–14, that’s exactly what they’re supposed to do.
Stat Capsule 🏀
Final: Pistons 124, Thunder 116
Record: 43–14
Game Leaders
🏀 Points: Jalen Duren – 29
🎯 Assists: Cade Cunningham – 13
🧱 Rebounds: Jalen Duren – 15
Team Shooting
FG: 48-89 (54%)
3PT: 9-27 (33%)
FT: 19-26 (73%)
Hustle & Control
Rebounds: 52–37
Points in the Paint: 70
Assists: 29
Turnovers: 17
Largest Lead: 17
Detroit didn’t overwhelm OKC from deep. They didn’t need to.
They leaned into the paint, waited for Cade to close it, and made sure a short-handed Thunder team never stole one.
Now the focus shifts to Cleveland.
Again, the Pistons need to clean up the turnovers and tighten the perimeter rotations, ior it might be a long night against the Cavs.
Info gathered from team reports, pressers & trusted media outlets — the way we always do it at Mitten Sports Talk.
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