Detroit Pistons forward Ausar Thompson emphasized pace, discipline, and physical identity after a 113-105 loss to the Orlando Magic in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series on Saturday in Orlando.
“We need intensity,” Thompson said. “I feel like the whole game we were playing from behind.”
Detroit erased a late deficit but still fell short after Orlando closed on a decisive run. Thompson pointed to early-game execution as the core issue.
“We let them get the lead to ten a bunch of times similar to game one,” he said. “Just coming out with that intensity, not being in catch up mode, I think that’s what we tried to do.”
The Pistons trailed by 17 in the fourth quarter before briefly taking control late, only for Orlando to finish strong. Thompson stressed the importance of possession control in playoff basketball.
“Win possession by possession,” he said. “Don’t worry about the whole game. We have to win the little moments, little battles.”
He specifically referenced offensive rebounds and early-quarter execution as areas that swing postseason games even when they do not immediately show on the scoreboard.
“Offensive rebounds in the first quarter, they don’t feel big in the first quarter,” Thompson said. “But you look back in the fourth quarter and you’re like, we could have done a lot in order to not be in this position that we’re already in.”
Turnovers also shaped the game, with Orlando scoring 24 points off Detroit mistakes. Thompson acknowledged the balance between aggression and control.
“You got to be aggressive. But you have to be smart,” he said. “We know we need to be better on that end. But we still need to maintain aggression and not let a turnover make us second guess ourselves.”
Foul management was another key factor in a physical game that featured multiple flagrant calls. Thompson said defensive discipline is non-negotiable in this matchup.
“Just not fouling,” he said. “We have to trust ourselves and trust our team that we could guard without fouling.”
“We can make them make tough shots and live if they make those tough shots,” he added. “But if we foul them, that’s a lot of opportunities to score with a free shot.”
Thompson finished with 17 points, including 15 in the first half, and said his mindset was centered on offensive pressure.
“I just wanted to help my team out,” he said. “Be aggressive, make the defense guard me and free up the rest of my teammates.”
He also stressed the importance of maintaining that approach for a full 48 minutes rather than starting strong and fading late.
“Whatever I got to do, do it with 100% conviction,” Thompson said. “Don’t have a 0.5 mindset.”
Detroit now trails 2-1 in the series entering Game 4, and Thompson said the focus remains simple despite the momentum swings.
“Just be there for him, encourage him, feed him the ball,” he said when discussing teammate support. “We want to be the more physical team.”
