Ausar Thompson’s seven-steal performance was pivotal in the Detroit Pistons win over the Golden State Warriors tonight
If anyone is looking to study the art of on-ball defense at the point of attack, Detroit Pistons wing Ausar Thompson’s game tape from tonight’s 115-101 win over the Golden State Warriors is a great place to start.
On the second leg of a back-to-back, the Pistons entered tonight’s home game without the services of Cade Cunningham, Isaiah Stewart, Kevin Huerter or Marcus Sasser, so Detroit responded by ramping up their defensive pressure at the point of attack. Cue Ausar Thompson’s music.
With the responsibility of establishing the Pistons’ initial line of defense, Thompson put on a clinic with seven steals against the Warriors in 25 minutes of action. True to form, Thompson harassed Golden State’s backcourt, clogged passing lanes and used his ballhawk instincts to swing the turnover pendulum significantly in the Pistons’ favor. Detroit finished the game with a 26-15 advantage in that decisive category.
As for Thompson, his career-high seven-steal night is the most by a Pistons player since Ish Smith matched the pickpocketing total on Feb. 28, 2017, so it’s been nearly a decade since a Detroit player reached Thompson’s level of defense.
Regarding Thompson’s teammates, both Jalen Duren and Daniss Jenkins had key performances that helped propel the Pistons to their third consecutive victory despite all the injuries. Duren finished the contest with 23 points and six rebounds to help Detroit establish the paint against the Warriors, and he did so effectively considering the Pistons’ 30-point edge in that category.
As for Jenkins, Detroit’s starting point guard posted 22 points, seven rebounds and eight assists with Cunningham sidelined due to a collapsed lung. Jenkins had a strong bounce-back performance against the Warriors after a rough 3-for-16 shooting night versus the Wizards on Thursday.
But since the Pistons were quite shorthanded entering the cross-conference matchup, Detroit knew their bench would be needed to pick up another win. Paul Reed assumed the usual Isaiah Stewart role in Beef Stew’s absence, and Detroit’s back up center logged 15 points, six rebounds and three assists in another performance that speaks to the depth in the Pistons’ locker room.
With 13 games remaining in the regular season, the Pistons are the first Eastern Conference team to reach 51 wins in the 2025-26 campaign, and they’re also the first squad from that side of the league to seal their position in the playoffs. With tonight’s victory, the Pistons clinched a spot in the postseason, so it’s all about establishing home court advantage for Detroit at this stage in the year.
Next up, the Pistons have two days off before taking on the Los Angeles Lakers at home on Monday, March 23 at 7 pm.
For more information on the latest Detroit Pistons team or player news, follow @EricJRutter on X for continued basketball coverage. Also be sure to look up Roundtable - Michigan Men Media on Facebook for continued social media coverage of all the sporting teams in the Mitten.