Detroit Pistons (53-20) beat New Orleans Pelicans (25-49) 129-108 at home on Thursday, March 26. The final margin was 21 points.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Pelicans struck first, taking the opening quarter 33-31 and a 2-point lead after one. The Pistons moved in front with a 34-23 second quarter, carrying a 9-point lead into halftime.
The Pelicans won the third 30-27 to stay in front, taking a 6-point lead into the fourth. The Pistons took the fourth 37-22; the Pistons finished the job for a 129-108 regulation win.
Why it was lopsided
The Pistons got more from their shots, finishing at 65.3% effective field-goal shooting compared with 51.1% for the Pelicans. The Pistons made 21.2 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 11.6 for the Pelicans. That shooting gap supplied the clearest edge.
The Pelicans did win one battle, second chances: ORB% of 30.2% against 23.5%. The Pistons made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 104 possessions per team, the Pistons produced 123.6 points per 100 possessions to 103.5 for the Pelicans.
Who stood out
Jalen Duren was the game's biggest individual force for DET: 30 pts, 10 reb, 7 ast on 10-12 shooting. His Game Score of 34.3 led everyone. His team was +5 with him on the floor.
Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with 21 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast on 8-13 shooting, good for a 18.6 Game Score.
Jalen Duren (30 pts, 10 reb, 7 ast) and Derik Queen (11 pts, 11 reb, 2 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Pistons about a 86% chance.
Across the last 3 meetings in our records, Detroit Pistons lead 3-0.
The Pistons are now 53-20, and the Pelicans are 25-49. The Pistons last five before this game: W-W-W-W-L.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.