J-Speaks: All-Star Forward Blake Griffin's Career Night

When the Detroit Pistons traded for All-Star Blake Griffin last January, he was a player that came in with a lot to prove. Things did not go well for himself in terms of lifting the team back into the playoff picture. His historic performance on Tuesday night showed that the work and focus he put in this off-season really has paid off and that he has every intention of getting the boys from the “Motor City” back into the postseason. 

In the Pistons (3-0) 133-132 overtime win versus the Philadelphia 76ers (2-2), Griffin, a five-time All-Star posted a career-high 50 points with 14 rebounds and six assists, going 20 for 35 from the field, including 5 for 10 from three-point range. 

How good was Griffin’s performance in front of the home fans at Little Caesars Arena? He became the first player in Pistons’ franchise history with a 50-plus point, 10-plus rebound, 5-plus assists performance. Griffin’s point total was the seventh-best for a single-game in franchise history.

This is a franchise that has had Hall of Famers Isiah Thomas, Dave Bing, recent inductee Grant Hill and Bob Lanier, Joe Dumars, and Bill Laimbeer to name a few to play in Detroit, MI. 

Griffin also became the first Piston to score 50 points since Richard “Rip” Hamilton did it back on Dec. 27, 2006 when he scored 51 in a triple-overtime loss to the New York Knicks. 

He became just the fifth player in franchise history to reach the half century mark in scoring, joining the aforementioned Hamilton, George Yardley, who scored 51 points on Jan. 15, 1958 and then 52 points on Feb. 4, 1958; Bing, who scored 54 on Feb. 21, 1971; Kelly Tripucka, who scored 56 on Jan. 29, 1983 and Jerry Stackhouse put up a single-game franchise record 57 back on Apr. 3, 2001.  

What made this night even more special is that when Griffin was called upon to put the Pistons back on the high side of the scoreboard in the final seconds of the extra period, he delivered as he connected on a driving layup with 05.6 seconds left to tie the score. He was also fouled and finished off the three-point play that would end up being the game-winner. 

“It was just a read and Coach [Dwane] Casey said, ‘I want you to make a call,’ and like I said he drew up a great play,” Griffin, said to FOX Sports Detroit’s Johnny Kane after the win. “We were fortunate enough to get to the basket. Got the ‘And One’ and get out of here with a win.”

He added about that eventual game-clinching free throw, which put him at 5 for 11 from the charity stripe on the evening, “I had to make up for missing six straight free throws at the beginning of the game. So, I’m going to ice and get to the free throw line.” 

The other thing that this game did for Griffin personally is remind people how good this five-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA Second Team selection and 2011 Rookie of the Year was in his first nine-and-a-half years with the Los Angeles Clippers. 

A big reason for that is the last four seasons have seen Griffin have to deal with injuries that have shelved him for a total of 107 games. 

By not rehabbing this past off-season, Griffin got a chance to really work on his game, while also being able to develop some serious cohesion with fellow All-Star teammate Andre Drummond, lead guard Reggie Jackson and the rest of the squad in training camp earlier this fall under new head coach in Casey and his coaching staff. 

Cohesion that has helped the Pistons pull out off victories in their first three games versus the Brooklyn Nets (1-2) 103-100 on opening night on Oct. 17; by 118-116 score at the Chicago Bulls (0-3) three nights later and as mentioned in overtime versus the Sixers.   

Along with Griffin’s stellar performance on Tuesday night, Jackson chipped in with 23 points, while his understudy Ishmael “Ish” Smith scored 21 points on 9 for 12 from the field and starting shooting guard Reggie Bullock had 17. 

“These guys have made it easy from Day One,” Griffin said to NBATV’s Kristen Ledlow, Thomas, and Hill after the game. “The way they like embraced me right away I felt nothing but love, and it’s been that way from everybody on down the line.” 

One thing particularly that Coach Casey has done to really evolve the Pistons offense attack early on this season is putting the ball in Griffin’s hand, especially when he is isolated at the top of the circle in the half court. 

On this night, Griffin was decisive whether it was to attack the basket, making jumpers, especially from three-point range or making plays for others. Griffin was especially decisive on the previously mentioned eventual game-winning three-point where he faked the hand-off and drove to the hole for the field goal and drew the foul from Sixers’ forward Robert Covington, who had 16 points and eight rebounds on the evening. 

Griffin said to Ledlow, Thomas and Hill that he and Coach Casey have been solid so far communication wise of the kind of things that he and the team is capable of on both ends of the court. 

“They done an unbelievable job of giving us exactly what we need and giving us encouragement and trying to clean up the mistakes as we go,” Griffin said to Ledlow, Thomas and Hill about the relationship between the Casey and his coaching staff and the players. 

He added, “Our team has bought in and you know in Game 3 has bought in. So, we just got to keep it that way and keep moving forward.” 

Griffin’s big night overshadowed a spectacular performance from Sixers All-Star center Joel Embiid, who had 33 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and three block shots. Veteran guard JJ Redick had 30 points off the bench, with six boards and six assists, going 6 for 15 from three-point range. 

Embiid was such a thorn in the Pistons side on Tuesday night that with 40.8 seconds left in regulation, he baited Drummond, who had 14 points, 16 rebounds, three steals and two blocks on the night into his second technical leading to his ejection.

As much of a statement game this was individually for Griffin, this was an even bigger statement game for the Pistons, who are 3-0 for the first time since 2015-16, which is also the last time they made the postseason losing to their next opponent on the 2018-19 slate the Cleveland Cavaliers. Though that contest will not feature the greatest thorn in the side of the other 14 teams in the Eastern Conference the last eight seasons in four-time Kia MVP LeBron James as he took his talents to Hollywood joining the Los Angeles Lakers this past summer. 

Griffin said that the East has many talented teams and while the Pistons do not feel “snubbed” about not being in the conversation in the wide-open Conference with James gone, they feel like they have a lot work to do to get to that point of being a team that is talked about as a serious playoff team, which they have missed out on in three of the past four seasons under former head coach and executive Stan Van Gundy. 

“We don’t want to get too high with the highs or too low with the lows,” Griffin said. “So, we’ll got back to the drawing board. Clean up some mistakes and get ready for our next one.” 

On Tuesday night Blake Griffin reminded the entire basketball world of what kind of player he is capable of being when healthy. The Pistons showed the basketball world under their new head coach in Dwane Casey that they are capable of competing toe-to-toe with a top team in the 76ers and can beat them. 

The question for them as they move forward is can they keep this up? Can the Pistons have this same kind of enthusiasm and focus for the rest of the season? 

Griffin and the team said that their goal was to make the playoffs this spring and to also be a team that the city of Detroit can be proud of. Performances like the one Griffin had on Tuesday night got the attention of the fans in the arena on Tuesday night and for sure those that watched on television.  

“The whole city of Detroit has been unbelievable,” Griffin said Ledlow, Thomas, and Hill of the support he has received since being dealt to the “Motor City” back in late January. “So, when you play in a city like this, these people care about sports and there very knowledgeable. They know when teams are playing hard and that’s what we want to give them. A team that plays hard every night.” 

“We may not win every game but if we come out, and actually give them something to be proud of this city will get behind us.” 

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 10/23/18 7 p.m. contest Philadelphia 76ers versus Detroit Pistons via FOX Sports Detroit with George Blaha, Gregory Kelser and Johnny Kane via NBATV; 10/23/18 9:30 p.m. NBATV Postgame Show with Kristen Ledlow, Isiah Thomas, and Grant Hill; 10/23/18 6:30 a.m. edition of NBATV’s “Gametime,” presented by Kia with Matt Winer, Isiah Thomas, and Grant Hill; www.nba.com/games/20181023/PHIDET#/recap/boxscore; and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blake_Griffin.