00:00What a day we have in sports, basking in a Pistons playoff victory.
00:06We got a Tarek Skubal start later this afternoon.
00:09Steve Iserman is going to speak and address Red Wing fans today.
00:13And it's the NFL Draft.
00:15Good morning, 97.1.
00:17Jim Costa, John Jansen, Gov, and Greg behind the glass.
00:21John, as I said, the buffet is here.
00:24Let's dig in.
00:24Yeah, it's an exciting day, obviously, for a lot of college football players that will realize their dream of getting
00:33the chance to play in the NFL,
00:36as well as we get a chance to celebrate a Pistons win.
00:41And every time we say 2008, it doesn't, for some reason for me, it doesn't seem like it's that long
00:46ago.
00:46It's still a part of my adulthood.
00:48I know it's not a part of yours.
00:49No, but I was a JV high school football player the last time the Pistons won a playoff game.
00:54But then you hear 18 years ago, and it's unbelievable.
01:01Glad it's over.
01:02Thank God.
01:02And they get the win last night.
01:04And I thought, I did think that they started better at the beginning of the game.
01:09But the start of the second half is really what I thought we would see at the start of the
01:13first half.
01:14I don't care when it happens.
01:15It happened.
01:16And they took control.
01:18They put their foot down and said, you know what, we are the one seed.
01:22Well, they should have blown them out sooner, if not for their own self-inflicted wounds, right?
01:26Turnovers.
01:27Turnovers, offensive rebounds allowed, missed free throws.
01:29It's tied at the half.
01:30And you knew they were playing better defense.
01:33Yeah.
01:33And once you ratcheted up one more notch in the third quarter, I mean, that place was loud.
01:3930-3 run.
01:41They got Duncan Robinson defended on the ball.
01:43He's suffocating people.
01:45But the key to me was Asar Thompson getting extended minutes.
01:48Yeah.
01:49It's everything that we had talked about.
01:51And I mean, okay, the rotation yesterday was fine because they were well within control of the game.
01:59And they started putting guys in at the end.
02:03But, especially in the second half, Asar Thompson and the defense started off the way that we thought it should
02:10and played in the entire game.
02:12I mean, 83 points in a playoff game.
02:14I believe I read season low for the Magic.
02:16Yes.
02:17Seven blocks in the first quarter by the Pistons.
02:21I mean, they set the tone early.
02:23It was going to be tough sledding for that Orlando team.
02:26And, you know, you can look at their shooting percentage, 23% behind the arc, 46% field goal percentage.
02:33Like, I understand that, you know, they shot poorly.
02:37But there has to be something said about the defense forcing those type of numbers.
02:43Well, that's more like it.
02:44That's what the Pistons' strength has been.
02:47Yep.
02:47They'll defend.
02:49Orlando is struggling.
02:51They're not a great offense.
02:52And that's what a great defense is supposed to do to a, you know, so-so offense.
02:57Yeah.
02:58And all three of their guys were playing.
03:00And we heard the stat during the game.
03:02Was it all three of them only played together, I think, 19 games in the regular season.
03:09And they beat them at their best.
03:13So, even the series at 1-1.
03:151-1.
03:15Go down to Orlando Saturday afternoon.
03:19We'll see what the Pistons can do on the road.
03:21So, you've got one game that you really like and one game that you really don't like.
03:25Yeah.
03:25It's a classic glass half full, glass half empty question for the Pistons fans.
03:31Did they win you over 2-4-8-5-3-9-97-97?
03:36I think you could probably see where I sit.
03:41I'm sure.
03:41And I am curious what your take is on it.
03:46Glass half full, glass half empty.
03:48So, historically, if it's 1-1, it favors the road team.
03:52Right?
03:53The road team just wants to split.
03:55Right.
03:55Take home court.
03:56Come back home.
03:58Sure.
03:58So, I could very easily say the glass is half empty.
04:01But I don't feel that way today.
04:02I feel like that's more like it.
04:05That's more of who they are.
04:06That's how they win this series.
04:08And to see it, I got to see it at least three more times.
04:11Right.
04:12But I liked seeing it.
04:13And I still, I expected them to win the series after dropping game one.
04:16So, I only feel more renewed in that today.
04:20John, my glass is half full.
04:23Good for you.
04:24Good for you.
04:26That's personal growth.
04:28And I am curious, too, because that effort we saw defensively, not only was it what we've
04:38known this team could do, especially in the postseason, but is that an effort that they
04:45can sustain for three more wins just in this series?
04:50I'm only talking about this series.
04:51Is that an effort?
04:53Because that was one of the best defensive efforts that they've had throughout the course
04:59of the entire season.
05:01I'd answer it this way.
05:02Is JB going to play Assar Thompson 35 minutes a night?
05:05Because if the answer is yes, then yes, that defense is something they can replicate.
05:13And they got 11 points out of him.
05:14So, that was one of the better efforts by Assar Thompson.
05:18Again, his stat line is not going to jump off the page.
05:2211 points and 8 rebounds with 1 assist and a couple turnovers.
05:27That's like, ah, that's a bit piece.
05:28That's a role player.
05:30He was plus 24.
05:33Look, I think he's their second best player.
05:36I know Dern's an all-star.
05:37Dern was whatever last night.
05:39The linchpin of the way they play is Assar Thompson on the defensive end of the floor.
05:43Well, and so, what was the recipe over the last few days that we had talked about for
05:48this team if they're going to get back to winning games?
05:50It was defense number one.
05:53That's the one thing that we talked about most yesterday.
05:56This team has to play defense.
05:58Check that box.
05:59Cade Cunningham, if he scores more than 35 points, I think they're relying too much on
06:04him.
06:05Too many guys standing around waiting for him to do something.
06:07Last night, 27 points, 11 assists, and then you had five other guys in double digits.
06:15That is the recipe for this team's success, especially in the postseason.
06:21I know Tobias didn't make a three, and he may be a storyline as the series goes on, but
06:25I did think he played better on defense, and I thought he hit a couple mid-range shots
06:28early in that third quarter that were part of, hey, let's build a lead.
06:33I thought he played a better game, too.
06:34Yeah, I mean, it was good to see everyone step up, and at different moments throughout
06:39the game, they did what they had to do.
06:43They weren't just standing around watching Cade Cunningham saying, hey, superstar, this
06:49is on you.
06:49There were stretches offensively where it felt that way, but the key was once they started
06:53getting stops, it kind of ignites what they're doing.
06:56Well, okay, he's a superstar.
06:58There are times where he has to take over.
07:01How about this stat, too?
07:02We made a big deal about, on Monday's show, the Pistons got bullied.
07:07These are two teams with big, tall front courts that are going to defend the rim and play
07:11good defense, right?
07:13Points in the paint shifted the other way.
07:15Pistons were a plus 20 in points in the paint last night.
07:20It just goes to it, man.
07:23They brought it.
07:24Was Duren what he needs to be?
07:27He's fine.
07:28I mean, it wasn't anything special.
07:31It wasn't a max player, if that's what you're asking.
07:33We've had these conversations, and I just wanted to know where...
07:37Yeah, you watched the same game I did.
07:38I mean, whatever.
07:39Yeah.
07:40It wasn't anything special.
07:41I know, but we see things through different classes.
07:44Yeah.
07:44I mean, what?
07:44He finished with a...
07:45Just shy of a double-double.
07:47Right.
07:47Yeah.
07:4711 points, 9 rebounds, and I thought that there would be...
07:53One of the things that we talked about yesterday, more assists.
07:57Get the ball in the paint.
07:58You know, everybody closes in.
08:00What are you going to do?
08:00You're going to distribute it, and only four assists.
08:03I thought that number would be more six or seven.
08:06I think four is ahead of his season average.
08:08It is.
08:08It is.
08:09And I will say this.
08:09I didn't feel like he was trying to overcompensate for game one, which is maybe some maturity
08:17for a 22-year-old, right?
08:18Everybody's talking about, hey, Wendell Carter's with your ex, and you're not playing well,
08:24and that was a dud of a game one, and you got it.
08:26It's the Durin game.
08:27He didn't come out and try to overcompensate and force up a bunch of shots and put his team
08:31in a bad spot.
08:32Right.
08:33They came within the flow of the offense.
08:35And I thought four offensive boards.
08:36Of his nine, four of them were offensive boards, and that's where this team really
08:41needed to get the edge, and especially for him.
08:44One offensive board on Sunday, four last night, and you could start to see all of those little
08:50bits and pieces make up the difference of getting a 15-point win.
08:55Text coming in.
08:56LCA saw a Pistons playoff win before a Red Wings playoff game.
09:01Go Pistons, Austin and Clausen.
09:03It was not lost on me as I walked out of the arena last night.
09:08Pistons did it first.
09:12Yes, they did.
09:12And it's good for them.
09:14I mean, think about it.
09:15They hadn't won a playoff home game in over 6,000 days.
09:20Not since 2008.
09:22There's a lot of questions to ask Steve Eisenman today.
09:25Do you think that will be asked?
09:27How would you phrase that, John?
09:29Hey, the renters have got a win before you even played a game in your home arena, a playoff
09:38game in your home arena.
09:40Your thoughts.
09:43I mean, if you're going to ask all the uncomfortable, tough questions.
09:46We're very happy for the Detroit Pistons and the fans, and we want to do the same for our
09:52fans.
09:52Yeah.
09:52And quote, I mean, that's text says they played one good quarter.
09:58That's it.
09:59Tied at the half lost ground in the fourth.
10:01If I'm Orlando, I'm quite happy.
10:06Sure.
10:06They're happy going home one one.
10:08I don't think they're happy with that game last night.
10:12You can say lost ground in the fourth.
10:14It's irrelevant.
10:15That game was over when the fourth quarter started.
10:16Yeah.
10:17I mean, congrats in garbage time.
10:18You scored a couple more layups.
10:21The broadcast was doing extended interviews with Rip Hamilton.
10:24They were talking about the 2004 Pistons.
10:27Yeah.
10:27They were talking about, you know, Pistons legend George Blaha and how Mike Breen looked
10:32up to him as a broadcaster.
10:34Right.
10:35Because when that game was, there were some people that probably turned it off and were
10:39like, yep, this one's in the bag.
10:41I'm going to bed.
10:43I'm not really sure what you're hanging your hat on if you're a magic fan from game
10:45two.
10:46No, it's just a broad.
10:47Hey, we're, we're tied coming home.
10:48We have home court.
10:49That's, that's why you'd be excited as a magic fan.
10:51But if I tell you, Hey, Pistons are going to lock in and Desmond Baines is going to
10:54shoot two of 11.
10:55Jalen Suggs is going to be seven of 18.
10:57Franz Vider is going to be four of 11.
10:59Like Paulo is going to be sub 50%.
11:03Yeah.
11:03And then by the way, they're not a great offense.
11:06So this, that's what's supposed to happen.
11:07Right.
11:08See, I, I just think this thing is such, so stuck in the middle and I'm so like curious how
11:13it's going to play out because they shot 49% first game.
11:16They shoot 33 last night, 25 from three.
11:18They're not that bad.
11:20They weren't as good as game one.
11:21I pointed that out going into game two, but they're not as bad as last night either.
11:25And you said they're not a good offense, but healthy.
11:28What are they like?
11:31Honestly, it's just now you're not going to score 83 points every night either.
11:35No, they weren't going to score one 12.
11:37This leads me to believe that if both teams kind of bring their a minus game B plus game,
11:45that these are going to be grinders.
11:47I'm, I feel pretty good saying it's going six games plus, right?
11:51Yeah.
11:52Now let's just split the difference on this.
11:54You had their season field goal percentage the other day, Tom, because you said when
11:58they shot 49% the other day, what was the average?
12:00I think it was 44.
12:02Oh, 44.
12:02Okay.
12:03Well, yeah, it's kind of in the middle of what these two games are.
12:05What are they healthy as an offense?
12:08That's, that's the wild card in this.
12:10The defense can counter it.
12:11They did certainly did last night, but to expect what happened last night to happen in
12:15every game too, I think it's a little fool.
12:16No, no.
12:17I think they'll score more than 83 points.
12:19Again, that was their season low.
12:20So, but if you average the two games, Orlando is averaging 98 points per game.
12:25But what did I say the other day?
12:25You got to play it in the mud.
12:27Yeah.
12:27You got to win it in a high nineties, low hundreds.
12:30This will be the recipe, the entire playoffs too, you know, if they advance and it's just
12:34so weird that Pistons basketball has got to be this style when they're good.
12:39It's a painful watch at times.
12:41That first half was a tough watch.
12:43Two, four, eight, five, three, nine, 97, 97 opening with the Pistons.
12:46We'll make time for everybody else on a sports buffet.
12:49It's 97 one.
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