The last time we checked on the Detroit Pistons, they were red-hot, having won five in a row and nine of their last 11. Coming off back-to-back wins against the Bulls and Warriors, Detroit was forced to play a third game in four nights against the Oklahoma City Thunder; we lost by 27. For the next two weeks, the Pistons wouldn’t receive more than a day of rest between contests, struggling to finish 4th quarters (see Charlotte and Philly) and losing three key players to injury.
What is the NBA’s problem? Constantly pretending to care about health and player safety, yet force them, solely for TV scheduling purposes, to play back-to-backs and 3 in 4s all season long. At one point early on, we had some giant break while other teams played a lot more. Where’s the balance? I want two days of rest in a row every week…
Finally, tonight, the rested Pistons smoked the Boston Celtics, who had won eight in a row. Reggie Bullock was able to return and drained four three’s, and Stanley Johnson was back for the 2nd time in a row. If we want to see the best basketball in the playoffs, the money can’t matter more than anything.
