(Photo: Carlos Osorio, AP)
Detroit — If the Pistons make the playoffs, they might look back at a game or two as the main reasons why. Count Thursday’s big win over the Orlando Magic as one.
Add another to the list: Saturday’s matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Without Blake Griffin — who was a late scratch because of a sore left knee — the Pistons struggled like a middle school team during the first quarter and muddled their way through the second half.
In the third quarter, they found their mojo, with a 10-point margin, moving them ahead and propelling them to a 99-90 victory on Saturday night at Little Caesars Arena.