A case of deja vu sounds lovely to the Detroit Pistons. For the Chicago Bulls, it’s something to avoid at all costs.
After thumping the host Bulls 132-92 on Tuesday, Detroit plays in Chicago again on Wednesday in the teams’ pre-All-Star-break finale.
Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff embraces the challenge ahead, anticipating a response from a Bulls team that has lost four straight and six of the past eight.
“They’re a team that has pride, that has talented NBA players,” he said, “so they’re going to come out ready (Wednesday). … (Our) focus has to be, ‘Can we double this up?’ Can we come out with the same focus, same mindset, to carry that momentum?”
Bulls counterpart Billy Donovan called his team’s effort “embarrassing.” Chicago trailed 71-29 at halftime. The 42-point gulf matched the biggest deficit at the break in Bulls history and was the Pistons’ largest lead at intermission all time.
On the night, the Pistons shot 53.1 percent from the floor, including 43.9 percent (18 of 41) from 3-point range. The Bulls made 35.0 percent of their field-goal attempts and were 10 of 47, 21.3 percent, from long distance.
“We’ll be ready to go from the jump (Wednesday),” the Bulls’ Josh Giddey said.
Detroit surged to its third straight win behind big nights from Malik Beasley (24 points) and Cade Cunningham (20). Beasley shot 7-for-10 from beyond the arc. His final trey was his 212th of the season, establishing a single-season franchise record in just 54 team games.
“It’s amazing,” Detroit’s Ausar Thompson said. “To see how much he works, he’s in the gym first every day getting shots up.”
Rookie Matas Buzelis led the Bulls with 12 points on Tuesday, finishing in double figures for the seventh consecutive game.
The 11th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft has seen accelerated starts and minutes amid injuries and the team’s recent trade of leading scorer Zach LaVine to Sacramento, but Buzelis is working to keep an even keel no matter his workload.
“To me, it doesn’t matter,” Buzelis said. “Whatever role that Billy tells me to play, I’ll do it. I’m starting now, but it could change moving forward. It doesn’t matter to me.”
Detroit earned at least a split of the four-game season series with Chicago and can claim it outright with a victory on Wednesday.
The Bulls have won or split five consecutive season series with their Central Division rivals, but the Pistons have put that streak in peril behind solid inside play.
Detroit scored 60 points in the paint on Tuesday after totaling 80 in a 127-119 home victory against Chicago on Feb. 2.
Giddey, who followed Buzelis with 11 points on Tuesday, has scored in double figures in six straight games against the Pistons.
Beasley has knocked down at least five 3-pointers against Chicago in each of the teams’ three meetings this season.
Detroit’s Jalen Duren, who snagged a game-high 11 rebounds on Tuesday, has recorded double-digit rebounds in eight straight games against the Bulls.
Chicago guard Lonzo Ball is expected to play after missing the Tuesday game due to an illness and left knee injury management.
