After winning their last five in a row, going into the defending NBA champions home arena was sure to provide a true test for the Detroit Pistons.

In the first quarter, we did not accept the challenge. The Spurs ball movement stifled our defense, putting us behind 37-20 after one period. It was a psychological massacre, for we weren’t stepping up and asserting ourselves like we’d done so well in our streak.

Something changed in the second. Our defense came alive, limiting their play with pressure. By becoming the aggressor, Detroit stopped being intimidated by San Antonio’s reputation, and the results led to the Pistons trimming their lead down to single digits by halftime.

We busted out of the third quarter with the same energy, cutting the lead to five and forcing an ugly-beard timeout. It didn’t help, and we soon tied it, frustrating Tim Duncan to the point of a technical. From there, Detroit had to overcome the pouting Spurs and Texas’ fixed referees, who started to maintain the score by letting San Antonio do whatever they wanted.

Nonetheless, the Pistons took a double-digit lead with more aggressive defense and attacking of the rim. While the Spurs excel at the fundamentals, they lack the athleticism Detroit possesses – similar to the way the Heat won the 2013 NBA Finals. We kept a five point lead going into the fourth quarter.

Both teams went back and forth, changing the lead with every hoop. They started to fire threes, making five throughout the period. We struggled initially to stay on them, but the Pistons wouldn’t give up, keeping themselves within striking distance as the clock winded down. The Spurs kept missing free throws that might have iced it.

Detroit found themselves in a hole down three with ten seconds left. Ugly-beard intentionally fouled Jodie Meeks, who knocked them both down. With eight seconds on the inbound, San Antonio lost the pass, and Greg Monroe stole it. The Pistons advanced the ball the length of the court, and Brandon Jennings put up a shot off the glass at the buzzer – AND IT DROPPED!

Jennings ran to his teammates who mugged him on the court, the happiest we’ve looked in a long time. It’s official, NBA: we’re in this bitch.