Ausar Thompson steps up after benching in Pistons' win vs Thunder

In a battle between the top-two teams in the NBA, the Detroit Pistons took care of business on national TV against a battered squad.

They defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder, 124-116, to improve to 43-14 overall. The Thunder were without their top players – reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (abdominal strain), Jalen Williams (hamstring strain), Chet Holmgren (back spasms), Isaiah Hartenstein (knee injury management), Ajay Mitchell (abdominal strain, ankle sprain) and Alex Caruso (ankle sprain).

Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren each had double-doubles – 29 points, 13 assists, three blocks and three steals for Cunningham, and 29 points and 15 rebounds for Duren. Duncan Robinson added 16 points. Jaylin Williams led the Thunder with 30 points and 11 rebounds.

The Pistons trailed by double-digits at the end of the first quarter, 34-22, after the Thunder closed it with a 15-2 run. But they outscored the Thunder, 72-46, in the second and third quarters by locking down defensively and finding their rhythm from 3. Oklahoma City was held to just 7-for-23 overall in the second quarter (30.4%) and 10-for-25 in the third (40%) after shooting 50% and knocking down five 3-pointers in the first.

Jaylin Williams and Aaron Wiggins caught fire in the fourth, combining for 26 points to help the Thunder cut the Pistons' lead to three, 108-105, with five minutes to play. But with just under two minutes remaining, Duncan Robinson was flagrantly fouled on a 3-pointer and made all three free throws to push their lead to eight, 118-110.

In the final minute, Cunningham got inside for a layup and assisted a dunk for Duren to help the Pistons hang on.

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Ausar Thompson steps up after benching

Among several oddities in the Pistons' 114-103 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday was Thompson's minutes, or lack thereof. He played just under four minutes in the second half as the Spurs pulled away by bombing 3-pointers and clogging up the lane defensively. J.B. Bickerstaff said afterward that he stuck with Ron Holland, who was playing well. But they missed Thompson's defensive impact.

On Wednesday, his impact was felt. It was a performance that showcased his many strengths – his pestering defense and knack for coming up with steals and deflections, interior finishing and transition playmaking. He helped spark a 21-8 Pistons run in the second quarter that erased their 12-point deficit. The following sequence highlighted his impact – he found Duren for a dunk following a baseline drive, blocked Lu Dort on the other end and then found Duren once again with an alley-oop.

Thompson has been one of the biggest reasons behind the Pistons' turnaround over the last 14 months. He had five combined steals and blocks Wednesday, the fifth time in his last 11 games he's met or exceeded the threshold.

Cunningham on shot-blocking spree

The Pistons' superstar guard is becoming one of the premier shot-blockers at his position. Wednesday was his third-consecutive game with three blocks, and he's recorded three in six games this season. He's both a chase down artist and capable of meeting defenders at the rim off of weakside rotations.

He delivered a chase down block on Wiggins midway through the fourth quarter as the Thunder threatened a comeback, and swatted a layup attempt by Thunder rookie Nikola Topic in the first half and greeted him with a stare down before getting back on defense.

Contact Omari Sankofa II at [email protected]. Follow him on Bluesky and/or X @omarisankofa.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons score in win vs shorthanded OKC Thunder at LCA