The Detroit Pistons were dribbling down the court late Saturday night, the clock winding down, the victory all but assured. The crowd was asked to rise. It cheered. Andre Drummond waved his arms in the air, trying to make it louder.

Drummond found Reggie Bullock in the corner of the court. The game hadn’t even ended yet. Already, they embraced. Yes, it’s just one regular-season game, but in the Pistons’ knocking off the Golden State Warriors 111-102, there was a feel that something might be different.nike nfl jerseys wholesale cheap

“They’re tough. They got after us defensively,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said. “They were more physical than we were. And they play a more traditional 4/5 combination with size and strength, so they’re unique in that regard, but I was very impressed.”

Saturday night presented a small line of demarcation. After handily beating the defending NBA champions, Detroit improved to 13-7 with its fifth straight win. It sits at fourth place in an Eastern Conference in transition that is currently headed by the 20-4 Toronto Raptors.

The thought of last year remains despite a new coach (Dwane Casey) and a new star (Blake Griffin). Why will this be different?

It’s tough to truly say, but Casey has consistently implored his players to stay within the roles assigned to them on laminated index cards at the start of training camp. The message can always be good before games count, but it has stuck a quarter of the way through the season — part of the explanation for a Pistons team that seems to believe.

“He told us what he wanted us to do,” backup point guard Ish Smith said. “And let’s be honest, we’re all grown men, so it’s kind of tough at first. You have to swallow your pride, but once you see that it’s working and it’s the greater good of the team, then you realize that’s what helps the team win.nfl nike jerseys cheap china