Detroit Pistons (42-13) beat Chicago Bulls (24-33) 126-110 on the road on Saturday, February 21.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Bulls struck first, taking the opening quarter 30-28 and a 2-point lead after one. The Pistons moved in front with a 25-20 second quarter, carrying a 3-point lead into halftime.
The Pistons won the third 44-26 to create some separation, taking a 21-point lead into the fourth. The Bulls took the fourth 34-29; the Pistons held on for a 126-110 regulation win.
What decided it
The Pistons took better care of the ball, turning it over on 12.4% of possessions compared with 21% for the Bulls. The Pistons grabbed 26.5% of their own misses, while the Bulls recovered 17.8%. Those extra possessions were crucial.
The Bulls did win one battle, the free-throw line: FT rate of 20.2 against 10.5. The Pistons made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 111 possessions per team, the Pistons produced 113.4 points per 100 possessions to 99 for the Bulls.
Who made the difference
Jalen Duren was the game's biggest individual force for DET: 26 pts, 13 reb, 2 ast on 12-20 shooting. His Game Score of 23.5 led everyone. His team was +22 with him on the floor.
Josh Giddey led the Bulls with 27 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast on 10-16 shooting, good for a 18.6 Game Score.
Jalen Duren (26 pts, 13 reb, 2 ast) and Cade Cunningham (18 pts, 9 reb, 13 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Pistons about a 74% chance.
Across the last 7 meetings in our records, Detroit Pistons lead 5-2.
The Pistons are now 42-13, and the Bulls are 24-33. The Pistons last five before this game: L-W-W-W-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.