Spurs Vs Pistons: Spurs shooters beat physical Pistons, 114-103
In a bruising matchup billed as a defensive test, the Spurs vs Pistons game ended with San Antonio pulling away for a 114-103 victory, a result that mattered because Detroit entered the night as one of the top defenses in the league.
Spurs pull away with timely shooting and team defense
San Antonio beat Detroit 114-103, overcoming the Pistons’ physicality with timely shooting and team defense. Devin Vassell led the Spurs with 28 points, hitting 7 of 11 three-pointers, and Victor Wembanyama finished with 21 points, 17 rebounds and 6 blocks; the game report noted a feeling that a block or two may have been missed in the first quarter. All five Spurs starters scored in double figures.
Spurs Vs Pistons: Pistons’ stars held in check
Jalen Duren paced Detroit with 25 points and 14 rebounds. The Spurs limited All‑Star Cade Cunningham to 16 points on 5-for-26 shooting. The game narrative said Wembanyama took time to adjust to the physical play but that his gravity opened scoring chances for teammates, and that San Antonio’s defense held the Pistons in check down the stretch.
Projected lineups, team totals and injury report
Pre-game projections listed Spurs starters as De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie and Victor Wembanyama, and Pistons starters as Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris and Jalen Duren. Team totals were Spurs 114. 5 and Pistons 116. Injury report flagged Isaiah Stewart with an (O, suspension) status.
Coaches’ comments and matchup notes
Mitch said the teams were looking forward to competitive games in this part of the schedule, called the Pistons tough, warned that “you can’t get rich quick, ” and added that both clubs hadn’t skipped steps; he also said the game is slowing down for Wemby and that Wembanyama is processing how he can dominate. Bickerstaff emphasized rebounding and forcing turnovers as identity points, said the team always responds, acknowledged being angry with his team at halftime, praised Ausar Thompson’s defensive impact and called Jalen Duren “a dominant force on both ends of the floor. ”
Matchup scouting and trends
Pre-game notes flagged key matchups: Victor Wembanyama would face heavy minutes guarded by Jalen Duren, and the Pistons hadn’t allowed a 25-point average from a PF/C all season, with Nikola Jokic noted as the only center to score more than 20 per game against them. De’Aaron Fox was projected to draw Ausar Thompson and was averaging 11. 2 drives per game over his last 10, a reduced role when the Spurs are healthy. Stephon Castle was expected to have his hands full guarding Cade Cunningham; Castle had 25 minutes on Saturday and 21 minutes on Thursday in recent games after minute reductions late in the break. Devin Vassell’s usage and minutes had been down lately, though Detroit’s defense can give up some catch-and-shoot looks. Dylan Harper could see some bench usage, but his minutes were not expected to be significant.
Defensive context and a noted discrepancy in paint rankings
Pre-game analysis noted San Antonio ranked third in defense and Detroit second on the season, and that Detroit’s five-game winning streak featured a defensive rating cited as 102. 9 points per 100 possessions. The context also included two different paint-defense listings: one line said the Pistons were third in paint points allowed and the Spurs seventh, while another line said the Pistons ranked second in paint points and the Spurs 11th; this is unclear in the provided context. The same notes called San Antonio an excellent transition defense, the Pistons average in transition, and the Spurs a better transition offense.
Season notes and recent Spurs run
Game copy cataloged several recent Spurs highlights: a huge fourth-quarter surge to sweep an Austin set, an undefeated mark in Austin with a late surge over the Kings, a dominant third quarter and balanced attack at the Moody Center, and a win over Phoenix when Booker exited at halftime for San Antonio’s seventh consecutive win. It also mentioned Harper hitting a game-winning shot in round one, Castle serving as a steadying force, Bryant acting as a sparkplug, and San Antonio extending a winning streak to six with a dominant finish in San Francisco.
The writeup included a promotional note that "The 2026 Golf Season is Underway" and offered access to NBA DFS player projections, Mike Gallagher’s NBA Matchups column, NBA Top Plays and live shows, Underdog daily draft rankings and other content through an NBA In‑Season package.
Next up for San Antonio is a road game at Toronto, listed for 6: 30 p. m. CT on Wednesday, Feb. 23 (7: 30 p. m. ET).
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