Pistons spoil Chauncey Billups' homecoming, reach .500 with win over Trail Blazers

Coty M. Davis, The Detroit News on Jan 6, 2025

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DETROIT — Chauncey Billups has not played for the Detroit Pistons in nearly two decades, but his love for the city has kept him intrigued. Billups has enjoyed watching the Pistons' resurgence this season and roots for his former franchise in 80 out of 82 games.

"I love what’s going on here," Billups said. "They’re playing well. They’re playing great. Their defense is spearheading. Obviously, Cade [Cunningham] is an All-Star and playing incredibly. But the defense is spearheading how they’re playing, and I’ve been happy to see it."

Billups would only like to see the Pistons regress when his Portland Trail Blazers are the opponents. He came close to achieving his desire Monday night at Little Caesars Arena, but the Pistons prevailed to take a 118-115 win over the Trail Blazers. While extending their winning streak to a season-best four, the Pistons improved to 18-18.

Detroit's victory over Portland was a come-from-behind victory. After a horrific start to the game, the Pistons fell behind by more than 22 points (45-23) at the 9:04 mark of the second quarter. This was a testament to their appalling first quarter, in which they shot 9 of 22 from the field and 2 of 10 from deep.

However, the Pistons' fortunes began to change when Cade Cunningham caught fire in the period when he scored 11 points. His production helped Detroit come within nine points (60-51) by intermission. Cunningham led Detroit with 32 points, nine assists and six rebounds.

The Pistons maintained their momentum in the third period, which kept them in the game throughout the fourth quarter. At the 6:28 mark, a tip-in by Jalen Duren gave Detroit a 98-97 lead. However, on the Trail Blazers' next offensive possession, Anfernee Simons helped the Trail Blazers regain the lead (100-98) with his fifth triple.

Simons led the Trail Blazers with 36 points while shooting 8 of 12 from behind the arc. After an impressive victory over the Milwaukee Bucks Saturday night, the Trail Blazers came into Detroit with a ton of confidence. Each member of their starting five scored in double figures, with Shaedon Sharpe scoring 20 points and Deandre Ayton recording 18 points and 11 rebounds.

Tim Hardaway Jr. came up huge down the stretch for Detroit. He scored 11 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter. Detroit was without Ausar Thompson, who missed the game due to a non-COVID illness. Malik Beasley started in place of Thompson and finished the game shooting 1 of 10 from the field, 1 of 9 from deep for five points. Beasley's lone field goal of the game gave the Pistons a 114-110 lead with 54 seconds left.

Duren, who finished the night with 14 points and 12 rebounds, sealed the deal with a put-back dunk, resulting in a 116-112 lead for Detroit.

Observations and notes

— Bickerstaff finds new five-man lineup: A slow start by the Pistons led to Bickerstaff digging deep into his bench. Midway through the second quarter, Bickerstaff inserted a lineup that featured Cade Cunningham, Wendell Moore Jr., Ron Holland II, Simone Fontecchio, and Paul Reed. The lineup ignited a 15-2 run, providing a spark that kept Detroit's winning streak alive.

— Fontecchio adds to Pistons' depleted depth: Simone Fontecchio returned to the court after missing the last two games due to personal reasons. His return was warranted, given that Thompson's absence made the Pistons more short-handed in depth. With Beasley starting, Fontecchio took the helm as Detroit’s sixth man, finishing with 10 points and six rebounds.

— Mr. Big Shot's homecoming: The Pistons honored Chauncey Billups throughout the night, as his lone appearance at LCA marked his first return to Detroit since his Hall of Fame enshrinement in October. The night was filled with several tributes, which began with a video celebration during team introductions.

The best moment came at 7:55 in the second quarter when the franchise displayed messages from the Goin' to Work Pistons, who sent heartfelt messages to Billups. The video featured messages from Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace.

Up next

The Pistons will travel for a quick one-game trip against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night. They will return to Little Caesars Arena on Thursday for a back-to-back set against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. Tip-off between the Pistons and Nets is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET at Barclays Center.

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