The word “potential” floats around the Detroit Pistons’ franchise a lot, but against the Rockets, the Pistons played an aggressive and smart brand of basketball that saw James Harden shoot 9-of-27 from the field, 3-of-11 from beyond the 3-point line.
The Pistons sustained a defensive intensity that set the tone for a signature win that the team could build on to install a personality for the squad that the players and fans alike can buy into.
Thirty-seven points and eight assists regularly means Harden cooked the defense and ate all night long. But, the stat line is nothing more than a mirage.