Phoenix — Through three quarters, the Pistons found themselves in a tough but familiar situation on Thursday night. They were in a tight game against a team with a worse record and were in a dogfight.
Unlike the loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Pistons bounced back in the fourth period and pushed their way to a 118-98 victory over the Phoenix Suns. They did it with defense, getting stops early in the fourth quarter, sparking a 17-2 run that helped give them enough cushion to rest their starters in the final period.
With their constricted schedule in the last 11 games, rest will become more of a focus, but coach Dwane Casey is concentrating on ensuring they play better on the defensive end and not let the opposing star players score easily.