The Detroit Pistons have been many things over the past 18 years, but rarely have they been this dazzling, this unexpectedly polished, this… well, hot. And after Wednesday’s victory, a smooth, assertive 11th straight win, the city is starting to remember what dominance feels like.

Detroit’s 11-game heater marks its longest winning streak since 2007-08, a season that now feels like ancient mythology, back when flip phones were still cool and the Pistons were a yearly contender instead of a long-term project. This year’s squad, sitting at 13-2 after the win, is off to its best start since going 15-2 in 2005-06, a season that ended with 64 victories and a trip to the Eastern Conference finals.

So yes, something is happening in Detroit, something loud, confident and a little bit glamorous.

Detroit Pistons Star Cade Cunningham Sets More Franchise History

Cade Cunningham, who returned from a hip injury after missing three games, didn’t need long to remind everyone why he is the gravitational center of this team. He delivered another razor-sharp, beautifully measured performance, finishing with the kind of stat line that only he has ever produced in Pistons history.

Cunningham became the first Detroit player to record five straight games with at least 25 points and 10 assists, a streak that somehow feels both inevitable and astonishing.

Duren Dominates Again

Jalen Duren, the Pistons’ elegant bruiser of a big man, added 24 points and an energy level that never drops below “chaotic sunbeam.” He bullied the paint, punished mismatches and worked in near-perfect rhythm with Cunningham, an emerging partnership that looks more refined every week.

Detroit’s crowd, sensing history as it unfolded, grew louder with every connection between the two. Little Caesars Arena felt less like a regular-season matchup and more like a fan base remembering its identity on the fly.

Robinson Ignites the Early Spark

Duncan Robinson wasted no time announcing his presence. The veteran shooter drilled three 3-pointers in the first five minutes, basically writing a neon sign across the floor that said, Shooters shoot. His 14 points provided early momentum, giving Detroit the cushion it would need when Atlanta inevitably punched back.

Detroit, coming off a Monday win over Indiana, looked comfortable, confident and startlingly synchronized, a team that now expects to win and plays like it.

Hawks’ Late Push Falls Short

Atlanta, playing without Zaccharie Risacher, Trae Young and Kristaps Porzingis, was supposed to be softened, weakened, maybe even resigned. Instead, the Hawks arrived with something to prove and nearly clawed the game away.

Jalen Johnson, the bright young anchor of Atlanta’s future, was everywhere. He finished with 25 points, eight rebounds, nine assists and three steals, filling the box score with the kind of all-around effort that makes opposing coaches lose sleep.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 24 points. Onyeka Okongwu dropped 21. And together they carved Detroit’s 19-point second-quarter lead into a late nail-biter. A blistering 18-5 run brought the deficit to just one with 6:08 remaining.

Atlanta would have tied the game with 1:36 left after Alexander-Walker sank two free throws, bringing the score within two. But Cunningham, as he tends to do, responded with cold-blooded clarity.

A soft jab step, a perfectly balanced pull-up, and the arena exhaled as the ball dropped through the net.

The Weight of History, The Lightness of Momentum

These Pistons are something of a paradox, a team carrying the heavy shadow of Detroit’s past glory while moving with the ease of a group that doesn’t seem fazed by expectations. It’s a balance they handle with charm, swagger and a little bit of flirtation with greatness.

There’s a sense of youth and fearlessness hovering over every possession, the kind of chemistry that doesn’t need labels or long explanations. It’s simply working.

The last Pistons team to win 11 straight was the 2007-08 squad, a group of seasoned veterans that carried Detroit to 59 wins and another Eastern Conference finals appearance. Detroit hasn’t won a playoff series since that season.

This year’s team knows all of that. And yet they play like they don’t care. Or maybe they play like they care in a different way, lighter, freer, believing something new is possible.

Detroit’s Best Start Since the Glory Years

With the victory, Detroit improved to 13-2. For anyone counting, that matches the team’s best start since the mid-2000s era when Pistons basketball was synonymous with toughness, execution and the type of defense that made opposing offenses wish for sick days.

But this team is no copy of the past.

This team is young. This team is fast. This team scores in bursts and moves like it has something to prove but nothing to lose. Cunningham is the conductor, Duren is the freight train, and everyone else fills the gaps with confidence.

The Vibes in Detroit Are Changing

Eleven straight wins. A franchise player setting new records. The best start in nearly two decades. And an arena that finally feels alive again.

Detroit basketball, long asleep, is yawning, stretching and slowly rising with purpose.