After 20 straight starts, Duncan Robinson’s ironman streak with the Detroit Pistons has come to a halt.
The veteran sharpshooter was the only Piston to start every game this season-until Monday night, when a sprained ankle kept him sidelined against the Atlanta Hawks. The injury came in the first quarter of Saturday’s game against his former team, the Miami Heat, cutting short what had been a steady and reliable presence in Detroit’s starting five.
With Robinson out, the Pistons had to reshuffle the deck-and they did just enough to edge out a gritty, one-point win over Atlanta. The lineup tweak saw second-year guard Daniss Jenkins slide into the starting group, not as the primary ball handler but in more of an off-ball role. Still, Jenkins’ presence gave Detroit some flexibility, especially with Cade Cunningham taking the reins as the lead facilitator.
But the real story of the night? The bench. More specifically, Ron Holland.
Holland, in just his second year, gave Detroit the jolt it needed. He logged 17 minutes but made every one of them count.
Defensively, he was everywhere-jumping passing lanes, applying pressure, and turning defense into instant offense. On the other end, he was efficient and assertive, finishing with 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting, including a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line.
He also added six rebounds and two steals in what was arguably his most complete performance of the season.
“He was unbelievable,” said head coach J.B. Bickerstaff postgame.
“He was the spark for us. We struggled tonight, but Ron gave us a ton of energy, fire-the way he just competed.
I thought he was phenomenal.”
That second quarter was where Holland really left his mark. His energy shifted the momentum, and in a game where every possession mattered, his hustle plays were the difference between a close loss and a narrow win.
Holland’s growth has been one of the more encouraging developments for Detroit this season. Known early on for his defensive motor, he’s now showing he can contribute as a scorer too. That kind of two-way production is invaluable, especially for a team still figuring out its identity.
After the game, Holland spoke about what this win meant to the group.
“Honestly, I feel like the way we hang our hat on defense, it definitely says a lot about us,” Holland said. “When we are really up and we really want to guard from the first quarter to the end, I feel like it’s really hard to deal with us.
But it’s going to be nights like this. What I’m most proud of is all of us just staying together through all this.
There’s going to be adversity throughout games. The fact that we’re able to stay together and pull out wins like this shows the growth that we’ve had over the last year.
I think we took a big step tonight, even though it didn’t look the best. The fact that we got this win means a lot to us.”
That kind of mentality-grinding through adversity and finding ways to win ugly-is exactly what Detroit needs as it continues to build a foundation. Through the first quarter of the season, the Pistons have found different ways to get the job done. Whether it was a shorthanded win over Chicago or an overtime thriller against Washington, this team has shown it can adapt on the fly.
Monday night’s win over the Hawks was another example. It wasn’t pretty, but it was gritty.
And in the NBA, those are the kinds of wins that help shape a young team’s identity. With Robinson out, Jenkins stepping in, and Holland stepping up, the Pistons found a way to keep pushing forward.