Pistons need Ausar Thompson's defensive tenacity again in Game 3

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Thompson didn’t get there in time to block the shot, but Bane kicked his foot out and tripped Thompson. It resulted in an offensive foul that started the Detroit Pistons’ decisive 30-3 run. It was fitting that Thompson spurred the run, since he was the one who sustained and prolonged it. Simply put, that Pistons’ third-quarter avalanche doesn’t happen without Thompson. He was clogging passing lanes, blowing up Orlando’s plays as a point-of-attack defender, fighting around screens and rotating to wreak havoc as a weakside defender. Thompson was tied for a game-high plus-26 and had two steals during his eight third-quarter minutes, but the numbers don’t do his impact justice. The 23-year-old Defensive Player of the Year finalist primarily guarded either Bane or Jalen Suggs during that run. While doing so, he also roamed as an off-ball defender, providing a second body on double-teams of Wagner and Paolo Banchero. Thompson had his fingerprints, quite literally, all over Detroit’s surge. And the Pistons will need Thompson to replicate that level of tenacity on Suggs and Bane and as a roamer on Banchero and Wagner if they hope to win Game 3 and take back control of this first-round series. Thompson is as important to Detroit’s success this postseason as any Pistons player, including two-time All-Star Cade Cunningham. Pistons assistant coach Jarrett Jack described Thompson’s defensive impact after Friday’s practice. “I would liken it to how there are some cornerbacks in football who are really, really good in zone, and they do tremendous,” he told The Athletic as Thompson sat within earshot along the blue Kia Center baseline. “Then you’ve got others whose assignment is to follow the guy all around the field, sideline to sideline. “Very rarely do you find people who are high-level in both. (Thompson) is a guy who’s high-level in both.” Three Magic possessions after Thompson forced the Bane turnover, he struck again, this time as an off-ball defender. As Bane waited in the corner, Thompson sagged off of him to help on Wagner, who was attempting to spin around Tobias Harris. When he felt the additional pressure from Thompson, Wagner looked for Bane in the corner, but Thompson intercepted the pass and went the other way like he’d been studying Deion Sanders highlights. Then, with 6:23 remaining in the third quarter, as Detroit was in the midst of the 30-3 run, Thompson picked Suggs’ pocket on the Pistons’ half-court logo. It was a thievery that left Suggs lying on his back as Thompson sprinted the other way for a back-scratching dunk that unleashed pandemonium at Little Caesars Arena. Thompson’s fast-twitch muscles and physical attributes, in a league full of players with uncanny athletic abilities, are arguably only rivaled by those of his twin brother, Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson. His instincts and athleticism propel the Pistons to go on game-changing runs. They’ll need more of Thompson’s defensive back-like motor throughout the series. “It’s kind of the best of both worlds with him,” Jack said when discussing what differentiates Thompson from other elite defenders. “Regardless of whether he’s on or off the ball (defensively), he still has a level of aggressiveness that doesn’t bog him down at all. He does a tremendous job of leading our defense.” The Bay Area native has shown he’s capable of changing the tenor of games all season. It’s why Thompson led the NBA in steals per game. Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama (263) and All-Star Scottie Barnes (230) were the only players in the league this season who had more combined steals and blocks than Thompson (215). Bane is averaging 14.5 points on 29 percent from the field and 20 percent from 3 through the first two games of this postseason. The sample size is small, but thus far, those are the worst shooting percentages he’s produced in the playoffs and the second-fewest points he’s averaged in the postseason. He was good for 20.1 points on 48.4 percent overall and 39.1 percent from long range in 82 games for the Magic this year. Though it requires a group effort to contain a player with Bane’s offensive capabilities, Thompson has led the charge. The 30-3 run Thompson kickstarted underscores his value to the team. “You don’t meet many players who can cover ground, and then if there’s a play that needs to be had at the rim, can also be a secondary rim protector for you as well,” Jack said. “Whether he’s hawking the ball, making it tough for guys, eating up clock coming up the basketball court or if he’s in space, (he’s unique).” Thompson’s teammates understand how he elevates the Pistons’ defense. “We expect him to be Superman because he does it so often,” Jalen Duren said of Thompson’s defense after an April 2 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. “Since he got to the NBA, you could kind of tell he was different athletically. … We can put him on anybody handling the ball, (and) he’s going to pressure them and make them uncomfortable. We can put him on any scorer, any shooter, any type of player, and he just does his job. “Having a player like that makes everybody’s job easy.” It was apparent how much easier Thompson made everyone’s job during that Game 2 run. And it’ll be paramount for the Pistons to continue giving Thompson the minutes and freedom to break games wide open. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms