Head coach J. B. Bickerstaff and the Detroit Pistons are on a three-game winning streak. Photo by Caroline Brehman/EPA-EFE
Feb. 12 (UPI) -- The Detroit Pistons, who won an NBA-low 14 games last season, set a franchise record with a 42-point halftime lead en route to a 132-92 domination of the Chicago Bulls to improve to 28-26 in 2024-25.
Veteran guard Malik Beasley scored a game-high 24 points off the bench, including 21 from 3-pointers, in the Pistons' third-consecutive victory Tuesday in Chicago.
The Pistons outshot the Bulls 53.1% to 35%. They also made 43.9% of their 3-pointers, compared to a 21.3% clip from their foes.
"I thought we did a great job to start the game in the first quarter, but unlike the other night, we held ourselves to the standard for 48 minutes," Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff told reporters.
The Pistons held a 55-44 edge in rebounding and 30-22 advantage in assists. They also outscored the Bulls 60-50 in the paint, 26-14 off fast breaks and 71-48 off the bench. Beasley's seven 3-pointers helped him set the Pistons' single-season record for 3-pointers, with 212.
"It's not about record-chasing, it's about impacting the game and helping us win," Bickerstaff said of Beasley. "That's what he does."
Fellow Pistons guard Cade Cunningham totaled 20 points, seven assists and six rebounds in the win. Forwards Tobias Harris and Ausar Thompson scored 18 and 16 points, respectively. Center-forward Isaiah Stewart and guard Marcus Sasser scored 14 points apiece off the Pistons' bench.
Detroit was hot from the tip-off, making 58.3% of its first quarter shots, compared to 32% for the Bulls. They outshot their foes 56.5% to 14.8% in the second, when the Bulls made just 4 of 27 shot attempts.
The Pistons outshot the Bulls 57.4% to 23.1% in the first half and led 71-29 at the break. The Bulls made just 12 of 52 shot attempts through the first two quarters. Beasley and Stewart logged 12 points apiece in the first half. Thompson had 14 points at halftime. Cunningham and Harris scored 11 points apiece.
The Pistons outscored the Bulls 34-30 in the third quarter. Beasley made a 3-pointer to start the fourth, giving the Pistons a game-high 49-point advantage.
The Bulls outscored the Pistons 33-27 over the final 12 minutes, trimming the final deficit to 40. Forward Matas Buzelis led the Bulls with 12 points. Guard Josh Giddey chipped in 11 points in the lopsided loss.
Sasser scored all 14 of his points in the fourth quarter.
The Pistons (28-26) sit in sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings. They will play the 10th-place Bulls (22-32) again at 8 p.m. EST Wednesday in Chicago.
