The Pistons officially end their 2023-24 season with the worst record in franchise history (14-68) and the longest single-season losing streak in NBA history (28)
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2023-11-19
Detroit Pistons lose 11th straight after 142-113 debacle at Toronto Raptors
Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press
TORONTO — The Detroit Pistons appeared to find a rhythm Sunday after a slow start. They scored seven straight points to cut the Toronto Raptors lead to two points. The two teams exchanged blows for most of the rest of the opening period.
But with just over two minutes to go and the bench players on the floor for the Pistons' starters, the Raptors started a run that clinched the game with significant time remaining before halftime. The Pistons went scoreless from the 2:22 mark of the first quarter until the 11:03 mark of the second.
In those 3 minutes and 19 seconds, Toronto scored 14 unanswered points to grab a 16-point edge and continued to pummel the Pistons to an ugly 142-113 defeat at Scotiabank Arena — their 11th loss in a row. The Pistons trailed by as many as 26 points before halftime, and as many as 40 in the second half in falling to an NBA-worst 2-12.
It has been a particularly brutal stretch of basketball for the Pistons this calendar year: They now have a third 11-game losing streak since Feb. 10, as the team dropped 23 of its final 25 games to close the 2022-23 season. The Pistons are 4-35 since Feb. 10.
There has been plenty of frustration for the Pistons during their extended slide, but Sunday’s loss had a different energy. Detroit has been more competitive than its NBA-worst record would indicate, but the team had no fight remaining after the Raptors’ second punch late in the first quarter.
The injury report grew before the game, as Killian Hayes (left shoulder sprain) missed his first contest of the season. He joined Jalen Duren, Bojan Bogdanovic, Monte Morris, Joe Harris and Isaiah Livers on the “out” list, giving the team a starting five and sixth man in street clothes on the bench. Livers, who has been nursing a Grade-III ankle sprain, was upgraded to “questionable” before the game for the first time this season.
Jaden Ivey drew his first start of the season in place of Hayes, but couldn’t get it going and finished with nine points and four assists on 3-for-10 shooting. Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 18 points, five rebounds and four assists, and two-way wing Stanley Umude added 19 points off the bench.
Seven players reached double-figures for Toronto, led by Pascal Siakam's 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
Poor first half dooms Pistons
At halftime, Cunningham had 15 points on 6-for-13 shooting. His teammates combined for 30 points — on 38.6% (17-for-44) shooting. It was a one-man show for the Pistons on offense as the Raptors made easy work of their defense, taking advantage of poor rim protection and transition defense to shoot 53.8% through the first two periods.
A midrange jumper by Marcus Sasser brought the Pistons within 22-20 at the 2:22 mark of the first. But the team lost its verve after a pair of sloppy turnovers: An inbounds pass from Alec Burks nearly sailed above Marvin Bagley III’s head near midcourt, and he committed a backcourt violation by recovering the ball. And Precious Achiuwa got an open dunk after a badly placed pass by Umude, extending Toronto’s lead to 32-20 with 35 seconds to go.
The Pistons opened the second quarter with another befuddling turnover, as an inbounds pass somehow sailed out of bounds. They finished with 17 turnovers — their 14th time in 14 games with at least 16. NBA teams average 14.5 per game this season.
Lineup change wasn’t the answer
Even if Hayes were healthy Sunday, there’s a chance Ivey still would’ve made his debut as a starter. coach Monty Williams noted before the game Hayes and Cade Cunningham haven’t meshed as well as hoped. Hayes’ strengths as a playmaker are better utilized with the bench unit, he said.
“He’s been a guy that’s set the table for us a number of times,” Williams said of what the starting lineup loses without Hayes. “He and Cade have played off of each other a little bit. Not as much as I thought they would. I think to a degree, I probably had Killian in a tougher spot when he doesn’t have the ball and Cade has it because he can’t facilitate a bit more. It’s interesting how things work out.
“I was thinking about moving him to the second unit, not as a demotion but so he can set the table for (Alec Burks) and (Marcus Sasser) in the second unit. We’ll see how it goes today.”
The starting lineup produced no positive changes Sunday — it was Detroit’s least-competitive game of the season. It’s not on Ivey or any particular player.
The Pistons may have to search for deeper answers as their first season under Williams spirals fewer than 15 games in.