Ausar Thompson's defense powers Pistons through round 1

He doesn't shoot a lot and doesn't say a lot, but Ausar Thompson sure does a lot. He's the Pistons' clamp, tightening on the opponent each possession. Pleased as he was after the first of three wins for Detroit with its season on the line against Orlando, Thompson was truly bothered in the wake of Game 5 that "we let them score 26" in the first quarter, "which isn’t even that — we’re one of the best defensive teams in the league, so I wish we held them to lower." For Thompson, good defense isn't good enough.

Little Caesars Arena was simmering on Sunday afternoon, like a volcano on the verge. It had waited nine years for a Game 7, and a few more days than anyone expected for the Pistons to put away the Magic. The crowds hadn't quite boiled like they did during last year's series with the Knicks. This one was ready to burst. The first rumble came in the first minute of the game when Thompson rose and rejected Paolo Banchero at the rim. The fans roared again a few minutes later when Thompson snuck over to help Tobias Harris in the post and swatted a shot out of Banchero's hands.

Harris and Cade Cunningham ultimately blew the roof off LCA as the Pistons advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in 18 years, but the 1-seed would already be home if not for Thompson. Their defense is their engine, and Thompson's doesn't stop. Even when the Pistons were down 3-1 in the series, said Thompson, "we were confident we were going to win."

"Even when we were down 24 (in Game 6)," he said, "we were confident we were going to win."

Those are easy words to utter in hindsight, but they ring true through Thompson's play. Detroit's epic comeback in Game 6 started where it had to, on defense. It was 62-43 when Thompson swatted away a jumper by Desmond Bane on the baseline, sending the ball into the crowd as soon as it left Bane's hands. It was 64-47 when Thompson collected a steal by Cunningham and set up Duncan Robinson for a three. It was 64-54 when Thompson erased a turnover by Robinson by denying Banchero at the rim.

And once the Pistons had taken the lead, Thompson delivered the final blow when he out-jumped Wendell Carter Jr. in the paint and rejected him from behind, sending Orlando's big man to his knees. "He devoured that shot!!" exclaimed play-by-play man Kevin Harlan. Thompson scored four points in Game 6, and the Pistons were plus-22 when he was on the floor. He finished the first round of the playoffs tied for the NBA lead in steals and blocks with 16 apiece.

"And we’re still confident we’re going to win going forward," Thompson said.

When Jalen Suggs closed his eyes Sunday night on the flight home to Orlando, he probably saw Thompson. He might've thought to double-check the overhead: Did Thompson also take his luggage? Thompson was in Suggs' pocket whenever he had the chance the last two weeks, part of the reason that Orlando's point guard shot under 30 percent for the series. LCA erupted again early in the second quarter Sunday when Thompson stripped Suggs at half court and flushed home a two-handed slam.

Plus-minus can be a misleading stat for an individual player, influenced heavily by the quality of everyone else on the floor. Yet, with Thompson, it tends to tell a better story than the standard box score. The Pistons' best player in the first round, per 100 possessions when he was on the court, was Cunningham -- who ranked 11th in the NBA at plus-8.4. Their second best player was Thompson -- who ranked 12th in the NBA at plus-7.8.

For added perspective, Nos. 13, 14 and 15 in this department were Jayson Tatum, LeBron James and James Harden, the last of whom can expect to see plenty of Thompson in round two. Good luck. Thompson has a simple but relentless approach to defense, "just to get stops, to play to the system that J.B. (Bickerstaff) puts out there, and to not let my man score but also not let the team score at the same time," he said. "I'm not just focused on my guy." Orlando's best shooting performance of the series -- even better than the first half of Game 6 -- came in the second half of Game 1 when Thompson was rather inexplicably stuck on the bench.

Thompson's long arms are everywhere on defense. His 28 deflections in the first round were second most in the NBA. One of his biggest plays of the series was the offensive rebound he secured by diving to the floor in the final minute of Game 5 to set up Cunningham's clinching shot. Thompson's own shooting limitations are clear, and more than nullified by all the shots he either erases, alters or entirely prevents on the other end.

There was a bible verse scrawled on the whiteboard in the Pistons' locker room after their Game 7 victory: When I pursue my enemies, I overtake them; I do not turn my back until they are CONSUMED. Psalm 18:37 might as well describe the Defense of Ausar, who was soaking his feet in ice after the Magic disappeared.