On Sunday night, Mason Plumlee’s triple-double odyssey came to an end. In the Detroit Pistons’ 123-112 victory against the New Orleans Pelicans, Plumlee finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his first career triple-double. With 2:30 remaining, Plumlee got his final rebound, sealing his milestone, helping the Pistons win back-to-back games for the first time this season.
At 30 years and 346 days, Plumlee became the oldest player to record his first career triple-double since Patrick Ewing got one at the age of 33 in 1996. It took him 557 career games to finally achieve this feat.
“I think you know when you have nine of something,” he said. “I was close enough, I had to tune in.”
Detroit had six players with a minimum of 15 points, and the Pelicans went 17 of 35 from beyond the three-pointer arc, 13 of 21 during the final three quarters. Josh Jackson led Detroit with 21 points, and Svi Mykhailiuk added 18 of his own. The Pelicans also lost their previous two games, conceding 25 3-pointers in each of those.
Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram scored 26 points apiece for New Orleans, but the Pelicans could not hold on after putting up an impressive start. The Pelicans shot 79% from the field in a 40-point first quarter. The Pelicans led by 10 after the first, but they scored merely 22 points in the second quarter and trailed by two at halftime. Detroit was winning 97-89 after the third quarter.
Plumlee also became the fourth Detroit Pistons center with a triple-double since 1965, joining Greg Monroe, Ben Wallace and Bob Lanier.
Standing at 6-feet-11, Plumlee is currently averaging 13.6 points (on 69.7 percent shooting from the field and 76.2 percent shooting from the free-throw line), 9.6 boards, 3.7 assists, 0.9 blocks and 0.6 steals.
It has been a tough season for Detroit. They are second-to-last in the Eastern Conference at 8-19. Although, now, with wins in three of their previous four games, and Plumlee’s triple-double the Pelicans can finally see some good times.
