No complexes, Alex Sarr’s Wizards win in Detroit!

The hosts of the “trade deadline” with the arrival of Anthony Davis, wizard Alex Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly created a surprise by beating the Pistons 126-117, Eastern Conference Leadersat the end of a match that was largely controlled despite a reduced line-up, notably made up of three elements on a “two-way contract”.

From the interval, Detroit sets the tone… in the wrong way. Slow, not very aggressive and guilty of questionable offensive choices, the Pistons were punished immediately. Washington starts the match with a high tempo and moves quickly, outscored 34-21 in the first quarter, while holding Detroit to under 30% shooting success. The Wizards even extended the deficit to more than 20 points in the first half.

A burst of pride, however, eventually got to Detroit’s side in the second quarter. Buoyed by the defensive activity of players like Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland, the Pistons made a series of stops and gradually recovered. Their streak allows them to get back on par or nearly so, but Washington manages to limit the damage and maintain a lead at the break (56-52).

Coulibaly is closing up shop

The game definitely changed after coming back from the locker room. Within minutes, Detroit was back to its flaws: turnovers, lack of intensity and let-down defense. The Wizards took the opportunity to regain full control of the match, increasing their lead to 19 points (90-71) midway through the third quarter. With the exception of Cade Cunningham (30 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists), the Pistons are struggling to raise their level of play.

Despite this unfavorable scenario, Detroit tried to finally make a comeback in the fourth quarter. Duncan Robinson’s four-pointer puts the Pistons back within five (112-107) with just over four minutes left, briefly casting doubt. But Washington is not trembling. Much like their night, the Wizards responded with tough, sometimes unbelievable shots. Bilal Coulibaly’s 3-pointer at the buzzer with 24 seconds left gives his team some breathing room (117-110) and definitely cuts Detroit’s momentum.

WHAT TO REMEMBER

– 69. As well as the number of points of the Washington “reserves”, led by Will Riley (20 points) and Sharif Cooper (18 points). While waiting for the recruits to arrive, Brian Keefe relied on a near-G-League workforce to pick up his fourth win in six games.

– Jalen Duren is blessed. With 4 points and 3 rebounds, Jalen Duren did not shine, and his right knee was creaking. The new All-Star did not even return in the second half, and the medical staff did not provide details on the possible severity of this injury.

– Kevin Huerter transparent. It’s never easy starting with a new team, and the former Hawks and Bulls scorer won’t have great memories of his first game with the Pistons. Kevin Huerter played just eight minutes, going 0-for-2 on shots. He did not enter in the second half either.

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How to read statistics? Min = Minute; Shots = Shots Successful / Shots Attempted; 3 points = 3 points / attempt 3 points; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive jump; T = Total number of jumps; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal mistakes; Int = intercepts; Bp = lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = point difference when the player is on the court; Points = Points; Rating: player rating calculated based on positive actions – negative actions.