Pistons Notch 10th Straight Win for First Double-Digit Winning Streak in 17 Years

The Detroit Pistons blew out the sagging Indiana Pacers, 127-112, at home on Monday to extend their current winning streak to 10 games.

This is the first time that the NBA team based in 'Motor City' has had a double-digit winning streak since 2008. They achieved their 10th straight win even without six players, including their franchise player Cade Cunningham.

The win moved them to 12-2 to keep the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

Jalen Duren's Rousing Return

Big man Jalen Duren returned to the lineup after missing two games due to a right ankle sprain and led the Pistons to victory at Little Caesars Arena.

Duren posted his seventh double-double of the season with 31 points, 15 rebounds, only missed one of the 12 shots he took the entire game. He is the team's second leading scorer, with an average of 20.3 per game and their leading rebounder, tallying 12.3.

'I just want to do whatever I can to help my team to win,' Duren said during his postgame interview. 'Whatever it takes to get the job done.'

With that stat line, he also became the first player since Hall of Famer Dwight Howard to tally 30 points and 15 boards in 15 years.

The Numbers Don't Lie

Many teams throughout the years have had incredible runs during the regular season only to underdeliver in the playoffs. While the atmosphere between the two phases of the season is completely different, the Pistons' stats currently show that they pose a legit threat to playoff contenders.

They got to where they are through their defense. StatMuse data shows that while they are only 12th in the league in points per game (118.8), they are 2nd in steals and blocks, averaging 10.2 and 6.3 for those respective categories.

They are also the fifth best rebounding team this season, grabbing 47.4 boards on average, which means they get 47 more possessions than most teams.

In their game against the Pacers, they had nine steals and eight blocks, which negated their 16 turnovers, helping them blow out their opponents.

'When we commit to the defensive end of the floor, it triggers what we do offensively,' said Pistons head coach JB Bickerstaff in the postgame press conference.

Reserves Picking Up the Slack

Down six players, an undermanned Pistons roster still managed to perform at a high level, thanks to their reserves.

Sophomore guard Daniss Jenkins had himself another excellent game scoring 26 points and dishing out eight assists taking Cunningham's place in the starting lineup.

Seven-year veteran Javonte Green also came up huge with a 20-point performance off the bench, almost tying his season-high of 21, which he posted against the Philadelphia 76ers in their previous game.

'He just impacts winning. He fits the identity of this team,' Bickerstaff commented on Green's contributions. 'He just understands how to impact winning and he's selfless in his approach.'

Can They Extend Their Streak?

The Pistons will go on a four-game road trip next, starting with their game against the Atlanta Hawks tomorrow. The Hawks have also won their last five games even without their franchise player Trae Young.

The Cleveland Cavaliers had a franchise best 15-0 start last season, and finished as the top seed in the East, only to lose to the second round of the playoffs to the Pacers in five games.