3 takeaways from Pistons' opening night victory
(CBS DETROIT) - Little Caesars Arena was rocking all night long thanks to some impressive NBA debuts from Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren that led to a 113-109 victory for the Pistons over the Orlando Magic.
The court was loaded with young talent on both sides, featuring both the current and former No. 1 overall pick in Paolo Banchero and Cade Cunningham, respectively.
In the end, the Pistons came out on top, and there was a lot to like in the first game of the season. Let's break it all down.
No Quit
Things went poorly right out of the gate for Detroit, as the Magic would go on a 19-0 run just three minutes into the first quarter. However, Detroit's second unit quickly turned things around, with Corey Joseph and Jalen Duren contributing on both sides of the ball.
With 9:26 remaining in the second quarter, the crowd erupted thanks to a quick pass from Joseph that allowed Duren to put Chuma Okeke on a poster, cutting the Magic lead to seven.
Detroit would go on to outscore the Magic in the second quarter 40-27, and lead them by two points at halftime. From that point on, there was no looking back.
With just :19 seconds left in the game and the ball in his hands, Cunningham drove to the paint and instead of going up for the shot, kicked the ball out to an open Isaiah Stewart in the corner who drained the clutch 3-pointer.
"We created an open area for him [Cade] to get down in the middle of the paint and the guy sucked in off the weakside corner and Cade made the right basketball play which was big time," coach Dwane Casey said.
The future is here and now
In their first showing of regular season NBA action, Ivey and Duren did not disappoint.
Ivey's ability to maneuver the court was on full display, which led him to score 19 points, along with three rebounds and four assists. Coming off the bench, Duren recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, making him the youngest player in Pistons history to do so.
Let's not forget he's only 18-years-old, and the youngest active player in the NBA.
"He's [Duren] ours that's what this year is about for him to grow, and also with Ivey both of those young kids are going to be our future," Casey said.
Postgame, Ivey spoke highly of his first-round draft counterpart.
"He's such a force and is just a really great athlete," Ivey said." He has a nose for the ball, can get rebounds, he's tough to guard man and he played a great game for us tonight and we're going to need him coming up."
Delightful debut
Newcomer Bojan Bogdanović proved trading away Kelly Olynyk and Saben Lee was well worth it.
Bogdanović debuted with 24 points and was 6-10 from beyond the arc. In just his first game, Bogdanović proved he can fill the void of a consistent 3-point shooter the Pistons have desperately needed.
Last season, the Pistons finished as the second worst 3-point shooting team in the NBA at 32.6 percent. Bogdanović looks to turn that percentage around.
"He opens up a lot of things just with his presence on the floor, and I was proud of his defense down the stretch" Casey said.
The Pistons shot 36.8% from beyond the arc, including a perfect 2-2 night from Joseph off the bench.
Next up:
The Pistons head to Madison Square Garden to take on the Knicks for its home opener.
Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
