The Detroit Pistons beat the Washington Wizards 122-111 on Monday at Little Caesars Arena, improving to 7-3 despite a 44-point night from Anthony Davis. John Collins scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Detroit, which got 31 assists on 43 made field goals.
The Pistons broke the game open in the second quarter, outscoring Washington 37-26 to take control. Davis kept the Wizards within range for much of the night, but Washington shot just 25% from three-point range on 36 attempts and the Pistons’ ball movement proved too much. Daniss Jenkins added 22 points and eight assists off the bench for Detroit.
Key Moments And How Detroit Won
Detroit never trailed by more than a single point. Washington’s loser. The Wizards fell to 4-7.s largest lead was just one point, while the Pistons built a 19-point advantage at their peak. The two teams traded the lead only twice all game, a sign of how quickly Detroit seized control once it did.
The second quarter was the difference. Detroit scored 37 points in the frame behind back-to-back buckets from Collins and a flurry of transition opportunities. The Pistons finished with 19 fast-break points to Washington’s four, turning Wizards turnovers into easy offense. Detroit converted 16 points off Washington’s 19 turnovers.
Washington’s offense also bogged down in isolation. The Wizards shot 9-of-36 from three-point range, well off their season norm, while Detroit went 28-of-31 from the free-throw line, a 90% clip that padded the margin in the fourth quarter even as Washington closed the final period 24-19.
Top Performers
Anthony Davis led all scorers with 44 points on 16-of-21 shooting to go with 13 rebounds, but he also finished a team-worst minus-10 in the plus-minus column. Trae Young contributed 20 points and a game-high seven assists for Washington, and AJ Dybantsa scored 21 points off the bench.
For Detroit, Collins posted 24 points and 10 rebounds on 9-of-13 shooting. Jenkins added 22 points, eight assists and four steals in 36 minutes. Duncan Robinson scored 22 points on 4-of-8 shooting from three, and Cade Cunningham finished with 17 points and seven assists. Four Pistons starters finished with a plus-9 rating or better, led by Robinson and Collins at plus-12 apiece.
What It Means
Detroit moved to 7-3 and sits atop the Central Standings, 2.5 games ahead of second-place Cleveland. The win extended the Pistons’ winning streak to one game and marked their first meeting of the season with Washington, a series Detroit now leads 1-0.
Washington dropped to 4-7 and has now lost four straight. The Wizards sit tied with Charlotte for third in the Southeast Standings, 2.5 games behind division-leading Atlanta. Washington’s defense allowed 58 points in the paint and could not slow Detroit’s interior scoring despite Davis’ huge individual output.
What’s Next
Detroit continues its Central Standings lead in its next game. Washington looks to snap a four-game losing streak.
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