Detroit Pistons

2024-02-08

Down 23, Detroit Pistons rally for epic comeback to beat Trail Blazers, 128-122 (OT)

Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press

PORTLAND, Ore. — After a flurry of deadline moves, and fresh off of a road win against the Sacramento Kings a night prior, the Detroit Pistons arrived at Moda Center on Thursday undermanned and fatigued.

They were without Monte Morris and Kevin Knox, who had been traded on Wednesday, and Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks, who were dealt to the New York Knicks earlier Thursday. They were also without Killian Hayes, Joe Harris and Danilo Gallinari, after the team requested waivers on them hours before the game.

Couple that with Isaiah Stewart’s ongoing absence due to a left ankle sprain, and the Pistons had just nine players available — including two-way forwards Stanley Umude and Jared Rhoden. The final score, however, didn't reflect Detroit's circumstances.

The Pistons erased a 23-point third-quarter deficit and defeated the Portland Trail Blazers in overtime, 128-122. Marcus Sasser gave Detroit its first lead after halftime with 3:08 left in the extra period, capitalizing on a block by Jalen Duren and knocking down a pull-up 3-pointer in transition to give the Pistons a 124-122 lead. A putback by Duren and transition dunk by Ausar Thompson clinched the win, as Portland shot just 1-for-9 in overtime.

Detroit trailed 92-69, with just under five minutes remaining in the third quarter. A furious comeback followed. Duren cut Detroit's deficit to just two, 113-111, with a pair of buckets with around three minutes remaining in the final period. A steal and pull-up 3-pointer by Sasser cut it to two once again, 118-116, with 1:30 remaining.

Former Piston Jerami Grant, who led all scorers with 49 points, gave Portland a four-point cushion with a pair of free throws. Cade Cunningham, who returned after missing Wednesday’s game in Sacramento due to left knee injury management, answered with a midrange jumper to slice it to two again at the 54-second mark. Sasser then capitalized on an empty Blazers possession, racing down the court to find Thompson for a dunk to tie the game at 120.

The rookie guard stole the ball again as Portland went for the win, but his fastbreak layup at the buzzer missed.

Duren had a dominant night with 27 points, 22 rebounds and three blocks. Jaden Ivey scored 26 points and made all seven of his 3-point attempts. Cunningham scored 23 points, and Sasser added a double-double with 17 points and 11 assists.

Ivey stays hot from 3, leads team effort

An immediate impact of this week’s trades is that it cleared out a lot of extra touches for Detroit’s starting guard duo, Cunningham and Ivey. The latter played what had been the best game of his career Wednesday, scoring a career-high 37 points and hitting five of his seven attempts from 3 to lead the Pistons to a 13-point upset over the Kings.

Ivey topped himself Thursday. He finished the game 7-for-7 from 3, setting a career high in makes. His seventh 3, early in the fourth quarter, drew gasps as he finished through contact. The bucket cut Portland’s lead to seven, 97-90, and capped a 21-5 Pistons run that brought them back from that 23-point deficit.

It was a chaotic game for the second-year guard, as he committed six of Detroit’s 16 turnovers and only made three of his six attempts at the line. But otherwise, he helped give the Pistons a fighting chance on a night they could’ve given up.

The Pistons nearly dug an early grave, committing eight turnovers in the opening period and 11 in the first half. They finished regulation with 16 turnovers, with just one in the fourth quarter, which they won by a 36-23 margin. Cunningham (10 points), Duren (10 points) and Sasser (9 points) all produced big buckets down the stretch in the fourth.

Williams thanks outgoing players for contributions

The Pistons had leaned heavily on the veteran duo of Bogdanovic and Burks, on and off the floor. Bogdanovic was Detroit’s second-leading scorer, a year after leading them in the category, averaging 20.2 points per game and hitting 41.5% of his 3-pointers. Burks, again, was one of the better off-the-bench scorers in the NBA and has hit 40.1% of his 3-pointers this season.

In the locker room, they offered perspective and stability. Now, they have an opportunity to compete for a championship in New York. Heach coach Monty Williams said before Thursday's game that he’ll miss what they brought to the team.

“The veteran leadership that they all brought every day, it’s pretty clear that that was something that we needed to balance out there with our young guys,” Williams said. “I talked about AB and his poise, even last night when it got a bit tight he was the one that calmed everyone down. It wasn’t just the shotmaking, but his patience with young guys in certain moments for sure. But every team has veterans who do that for the young players, and we hope that our young guys learn a lot from those guys.

“I enjoyed coaching them both and it’s just part of the NBA season, and it’s a blessing, all of it. Those guys are going to a team where they get to compete and we’re getting guys that we feel like are gonna help us in the future. But I can’t reiterate enough how much I appreciated having all of the guys we’ve had, and now I have to focus on the game tonight but there’s a process of thinking about what we’re gonna look like going forward.”

Williams and Hayes only spent half of a season together, but the fourth-year guard began the year atop the rotation. He started all four of Detroit’s preseason games, and 31 of his 42 regular season appearances this season. Williams was intrigued by Hayes’ size on defense and passing, but eventually fell out of the rotation as the trade deadline neared.

Hayes was a healthy scratch in three straight games before trades and injuries allowed him to start one last time on Wednesday against the Kings. Ultimately, the seventh-overall pick of the 2020 draft was an odd-man out as the Pistons waived players to get under the 15-player limit on Thursday — bringing his tenure in Detroit to an abrupt end.

“That’s a tough one,” Williams said. “I only had one for a short period so I can’t speak on it. He had some good moments with us. Sass was playing at a pretty good clip, and then Monte came back and we wanted to try some different things, I did. When you have a guy that was picked that high, there’s an expectation that goes with that. I’m not one of those guys that equates the expectation with a draft pick. I think in today’s economy, the draft pick number goes out the window when you start playing. It typically comes down to the situation and your work ethic and opportunity.

“He would admit that he had a great opportunity here in Detroit and I wish him nothing but the best. I spoke to him this morning and am hopeful that he’ll catch on with somebody where he can show what he can do on a consistent basis.”