The Detroit Pistons with basketball world champion Schröder are back in the playoffs in the NBA for the first time in six years.
The captain of the German national team and his team won 117: 105 at the Toronto Raptors and can no longer be replaced from the top six in the Eastern Conference.
“This is a huge thing,” said coach JB Bickerstaff: “Usually we should not deal with where we stand or what the table is. But this is a great opportunity for the team to see what we can achieve together.” Detroit had taken last place last season, Schröder had only joined the team two months ago.
Against his former employer in Toronto, Schröder again replaced the injured all-star Cade Cunningham and contributed 16 points, seven assists and four rebounds in a good 35 minutes. The best point collector was Tim Hardaway Jr. with 23 points.
Hartenstein despite bankruptcy with strong numbers
As fifth in the east, the pistons are currently a duel with the fourth -placed Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs.
Detroit could still catch up with the Pacers and thus secure the home advantage in the series. With three games behind and only five games to be completed, however, this is quite unrealistic.
Meanwhile, it set a rare bankruptcy for the Oklahoma City Thunder. The league leader lost 111: 125 at the Houston Rockets and, after eleven victories in a row, went out of the floor for the first time as a loser. The Thunder missed it as the third team in history to score at least 70 season wins. Nevertheless, Oklahoma City with 64 successes remains sovereign leader.
Celtics crack three-way record
Despite the defeat, Isaiah Hartenstein delivered a strong performance and collected 16 points, seven rebounds, four templates, a steal and two blocks in 28 minutes. Team colleague Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had to be satisfied with 22 points on a weak evening for him. Nevertheless, the league’s top scorer overtook the NBA legend Michael Jordan with at least 20 points in a row.
The Boston Celtics meanwhile achieved another historical milestone. The master performed against the Phoenix Suns 14 threesome in the 123: 103 and set up a new NBA record with a total of 1370 goals from a distance. The previous record had heard the Golden State Warriors about the best three-way shooters in the league, Steph Curry.