Detroit Pistons

2024-01-31

Detroit Pistons hang tough with Cavaliers until final minutes in 128-121 road loss

Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press

CLEVELAND — For the second time this week, the Detroit Pistons punched above their weight class. But after defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder by 16 points on Sunday, they couldn't go 2-for-2.

They fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, 128-121, in a back-and-forth game that was lost in the final 2 minutes. Detroit had a two-point lead with 3:18 remaining following a hook by Jalen Duren. But their red-hot shooting from deep went cold when they needed 3-pointers most, as Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks each missed one that would've answered Cleveland buckets and given Detroit the lead.

Jarrett Allen extended Cleveland's lead to 122-118 with 1:58 to play, and a shot clock violation by the Pistons with under a minute left was answered by a pair of free throws by Donovan Mitchell, who led all scorers with 45 points and clinched the win.

Detroit shot 16-for-31 (51.6%) from 3 and 55.6% overall, but were undone by 17 turnovers. The Cavaliers had a 29-10 advantage in points scored off of turnovers and 15-4 advantage in second-chance points. The Pistons were without Isaiah Stewart, who sprained his left ankle on Sunday, and missed his interior presence.

Mike Muscala started in place of Stewart, who sprained his left ankle on Sunday against the Oklahoma City Thunder. But Muscala suffered a head injury after a fall early in the first quarter and exited the game after just 4 minutes of action.

Danilo Gallinari stepped up with 20 points, his season-high, on 4-for-4 shooting from 3. Cade Cunningham, who returned after missing Sunday's game due to left knee strain recovery, added 19 points, seven assists, a pair of steals and didn't commit a turnover. Bogdanovic added 17 points.

Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland returned from a six-week absence with a broken jaw and scored 19.

Gallinari turns back the clock

With Stewart injured and Muscala’s early exit, Gallinari was guaranteed a big role. He made the most of it.

The 35-year-old veteran sharpshooter was on fire from start to finish, and led an overall strong night for the second unit. It was his first time reaching the 20-point threshold in nearly two full years, with his last being on April 10, 2022 — a 26-point performance with the Atlanta Hawks.

He knocked down three 3-pointers during a 20-11 run, led by the second unit, to open the second quarter. The run gave the Pistons the lead, 45-43, after ending the first quarter facing a seven-point deficit. He started the second half in place of Muscala, and he hit his fourth 3-pointer early in it. It was a difficult one. As the shot clock expired, he knocked down a turnaround fadeaway with Mitchell draped over him.

A layup through contact by Gallinari brought the Pistons within two early in the fourth, and he knocked down a pair of free throws to give them their first lead of the final period, 100-98, with 8 minutes to play.

Detroit’s second unit has been noticeably improved since the trade with the Washington Wizards. Muscala was initially ahead of Gallinari in the rotation, but the latter showed that he still has some shot-making left in the tank.

Hayes picks up first DNP of season

The Pistons’ backcourt, for just the second time this season, was fully healthy on Wednesday. The first time was last Saturday, a game in which Hayes lost his starting job to Cunningham and played just 9 minutes and 30 seconds, his lowest mark of the season. The writing was on the wall, because this time around, he didn’t play at all.

It was Hayes’ first healthy scratch of the season, as his previous four absences were due to an illness. Cunningham and Ivey started alongside each other, and Marcus Sasser, Alec Burks and Monte Morris rounded out the guard rotation.

Hayes has been a favorite for head coach Monty Williams, who values his ball-control and size. But with Detroit’s crowded backcourt, it’s unclear if the team will be able to guarantee a role for him moving forward. It makes the pending restricted free agent, in Year 4 of his rookie contract, a player to watch as the Feb. 8 trade deadline approaches.

Next up: Clippers

Matchup: Pistons (6-41) vs. L.A. Clippers (31-15).

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Friday; Little Caesars Arena, Detroit.

2024-01-03

Detroit Pistons go cold late, fall in overtime to Utah Jazz, 154-148

Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press

SALT LAKE CITY — The Detroit Pistons led for most of the first four quarters.

But they couldn't hit shots when it mattered most.

The end result? A 154-148 overtime loss to the Utah Jazz in the second leg of a four-game road trip. Jordan Clarkson, who led all scorers with 36 points, ultimately hit the dagger 3-pointer with 1:44 remaining in the extra session that pushed Utah's lead to seven. The Pistons shot just 2-for-9 in overtime after shooting a season-high 56.8% through the first four periods. Detroit led the entire first half and for 18 minutes and 17 seconds of the second half.

Cade Cunningham hit a 3-pointer with 7.5 seconds left in overtime to bring the Pistons within three. But Killian Hayes, who checked in for defensive purposes, committed a foul on Collin Sexton before Utah could inbounds the ball.

It gave Utah a free throw and the ball back, ending Detroit's hopes of forcing a second overtime.

The Pistons got strong performances from Bojan Bogdanovic (36 points, 8-for-15 from 3), Cunningham (31 points, 12 assists) and Alec Burks (27 points, 23 in second half). Jalen Duren also had a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Clarkson led Utah with 36 points.

Detroit had a chance to put the game away with less than three minutes remaining in the fourth, but Burks missed an open 3, keep the Pistons' lead at four. Bogdanovic and Burks went cold late, missing shots on four consecutive possessions to allow Utah to tie the game at 132. But the veteran duo came through in the final 20 seconds to send the game into overtime.

A game of horse

The fourth ended with a wild sequence of shot-making. A 3-pointer by Clarkson gave the Jazz the lead with 31 seconds remaining. But Bogdanovic answered with a 3 with 14.9 left, knocking it down from deep after recovering the ball from a blocked 3 attempt by Isaiah Livers.

Lauri Markkanen (31 points) answered with a 3 with 4.4 seconds remaining. Burks proceeded to save the night, inbounding the ball to Livers and receiving it right back before hitting a deep pull-up 3-pointer at the buzzer to tie it at 138 and give Detroit another shot at victory.

Livers was inserted back into the starting lineup in place of Kevin Knox, and the third-year wing was key in the Pistons getting off to a hot start. He scored six of Detroit’s first 11 points — a 3-point play and 3-pointer — to help force an early Utah timeout after the Pistons built a seven-point lead.

That lead extended to 10 when, midway through the first, Ivey pushed the ball in transition and found Knox for a dunk. The Jazz cut it to one midway through the second, but Detroit answered with a Cunningham 3. The Pistons led for all 24 minutes of the half, and maintained momentum until the Jazz closed it with a 6-0 run that cut Detroit’s lead to 68-66 entering halftime.

Bogdanovic shines in familiar arena

Bogdanovic got a round of applause from the road crowd during pregame introductions. The veteran forward arrived in Detroit from Utah, where he played from 2019-22 and was a key part of the Jazz’s playoff runs, alongside Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.

He clearly felt at home, scoring 15 points by halftime to help the Pistons stay in control — particularly during an extended stretch where Cunningham rested from the 2:48 mark of the first until the 7:54 mark of the second. He followed that by knocking down back-to-back 3-pointers to open the second half, and tying his season-high with his sixth 3-pointer of the night midway through the third.

His seventh 3, 20 seconds into the fourth, pushed Detroit’s lead back up to 112-104 and he helped send the game into OT with his final triple of the night with 14.9 seconds to go.

Burks helps Pistons regain control late

Cunningham came out firing in the third, hitting six of his seven shots for 15 points in the period. But it was also in the third that Utah took its first lead of the night, 93-92, with a Fontecchio 3-pointer at the 5:13 mark.

The two teams exchanged blows, with eight lead changes and a tie, until Burks put Detroit back on top with nine points in the final three minutes of the quarter. It was a vintage Burks stretch, as he made two tough finishes at the rim, a free throw and completed a four-point play to give Detroit a 109-104 lead entering the fourth.

Burks kept rolling in the fourth, pushing Detroit’s lead to eight again with a triple. His next 3-pointer gave Detroit some cushion, 124-118, with 6:40 on the clock after the Jazz briefly took the lead with an 11-2 run. His final 3 of the fourth was the 3 that sent the game into an extra period.

2024-01-05

Detroit Pistons can't contain Steph Curry late, fall to Golden State Warriors, 113-109

Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press

SAN FRANCISCO — It was a rare off night for Steph Curry, but the NBA’s greatest shooter ultimately put the Detroit Pistons to bed.

He scored 14 points, including three 3-pointers, in the final 3minutes to help the Golden State Warriors beat the Pistons, 113-109, at Chase Center. The Pistons fell to 3-32, with three straight losses since snapping their 28-game losing streak last week.

Cade Cunningham finished strong after a slow start, scoring 21 of his 30 points in the second half on 9-for-11 shooting. The fourth quarter was his best, as he tallied 15 points while making all six of his shots to give Detroit a chance to win late.

Cunningham hit a pair of consecutive buckets — a pull-up 3 and layup — midway through the fourth to bring the Pistons within one, 95-94, after trailing by 11. He then answered Curry’s 3-pointer at the 2:57 mark with a lob to Jalen Duren and a layup of his own to tie the game at 100. The Warriors, largely thanks to Curry, closed the game with a 13-9 run.

The Warriors were also aided by a Jaden Ivey turnover with less than 90 seconds remaining, which was followed by a Curry 3 that extended their lead to four.

Poor shooting nights by Curry (26 points, 36.8% shooting) and Klay Thompson (19 points, 33.3%) along with poor ball control by the Warriors (19 turnovers, off of which Detroit scored 26 points) allowed the Pistons to remain within striking distance despite their struggles beyond the arc. The Pistons made just 13 of their 44 3-point attempts (29.5%).

But the Warriors didn’t need Curry to build an 11-point lead, 95-84, with 7:12 remaining in the game, following consecutive 3-pointers by Thompson and Dario Saric. Curry didn’t check into the final period until the 6:18 mark.

Kevin Knox II scored 18 points off the bench, and Jalen Duren tallied a double-double (13 points, 12 rebounds). It was a homecoming game for James Wiseman, who made his first appearance at Chase Center since the Warriors traded him to Detroit in February. He received an ovation from the crowd after checking in during the first quarter, and finished with four points and three rebounds in 15 minutes.

Kevin Knox lifts Pistons’ cold offense

Detroit had its best shooting night Wednesday against the Utah Jazz, knocking down a season-high 19 3-pointers (topping their previous high of 15). They followed it with one of their worst performances.

The Pistons were just 6-for-31 (19.4%) beyond the arc before they knocked down three in the final 90 seconds of the third period. They would’ve been even worse had Knox not given the team a boost off of the bench.

The 6-foot-8 forward got going early, scoring seven of his 10 first-half points in the opening period. It was his third time in four games scoring in double figures, and he kept Detroit’s second unit afloat after head coach Monty Williams went with his now-customary all-bench lineup late in the first quarter.

Jaden Ivey prioritizing offensive glass

With six minutes to play until halftime, Ivey rose above the crowd in the paint to grab an offensive rebound. The 6-foot-4 guard then managed to finish a layup over the same crowd.

It continued a trend this past week — Ivey has suddenly become one of Detroit’s better offensive rebounders. He grabbed 13 total in three games against the Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors and Houston Rockets.

“I think that’s one thing I can bring to the team,” Ivey said on Monday. “Getting more possessions for us. It’s been helping. I’m trying to figure out how I can help more, on the offensive end, crashing the glass. I’ve been doing that well. I have to continue to do that and figure out the spots I can get offensive rebounds and get us more possessions. It’s been working. Now it just has to translate.”

The bucket was his only attempt and make of the half, thanks to picking up three fouls in just 7 minutes of action. But it illustrated where his priorities lie, as the Pistons continue to search for ways to add to their win column.

2024-01-07

Detroit Pistons lose Cade Cunningham to injury, then game to Denver Nuggets, 131-114

Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press

For nearly two quarters, the Detroit Pistons went toe-to-toe with the defending champs.

Then, Cade Cunningham exited the game midway through the second quarter with a left knee strain. He wasn’t having a great game — three points, three assists and three rebounds on 1-for-6 shooting — but his injury ruined his team’s chance to steal a win on the road.

The Pistons (3-33) fell, 131-114, to the Nuggets at Ball Arena. They led Denver by one point, 54-53, with three minutes left in the first half after Alec Burks knocked down a 3-pointer. The tide turned against Detroit when a misplaced inbounds pass by Killian Hayes led to Bojan Bogdanovic colliding with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

The former Piston made both free throws, and Jamal Murray knocked down a 3-pointer on the ensuing Nuggets possession to extend their lead to seven, 61-54. The first half featured 13 lead changes and eight ties. But the Pistons trailed by eight at halftime, and lost offensive momentum in the second half after shooting 51.1% in the first.

The Pistons closed their week-long West Coast road trip 0-4, and are winless since snapping their historic 28-game losing streak on Dec. 30. They’ll play three home games this week — a back-to-back against the Sacramento Kings and San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday and Wednesday before hosting the Houston Rockets on Friday.

The story of Sunday's game is Cunningham’s injury. It wasn’t immediately clear how he hurt his knee, but he did bang knees in the Pistons' game against the Golden State Warriors last Friday. He wasn’t listed on Sunday’s injury report before the game.

Jalen Duren (20 points, five rebounds, four assists) led the Pistons in scoring, and Burks, who continued his strong run of games off of the bench, added 18 points.

Denver's Jamal Murray led all scorers with 37 points in 30 minutes, and Nikola Jokic tallied four points, seven rebounds, 16 assists, five blocks and just three shot attempts.

It was another poor defensive performance for the Pistons, as the Nuggets shot 58.8% overall. The Pistons also left points on the board, going just 21-for-30 at the free throw line.

Cunningham’s injury another big blow in tough season

Detroit’s franchise player only played 11 minutes before exiting with more than six minutes remaining in the second quarter. It's unknown if the injury will keep Cunningham out for an extended period of time, but losing him on Sunday was obviously a massive blow for the Pistons, who gave up 43 points in the third while getting outscored by 15.

Cunningham entered the game averaging 23.4 points, 7.4 assists and 4.1 rebounds on the season. His last few weeks of basketball have been the best of his career, averaging 29.1 points, 8.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals on 52.7% overall shooting and 38.8% shooting from 3 in his last nine games. That stretch includes two games with at least 40 points, against the Atlanta Hawks and Brooklyn Nets.

He has appeared in all 35 of Detroit’s games this season — an accomplishment after missing 70 games last season with a shin injury that needed surgery. To date, he and Ausar Thompson are Detroit’s only players to appear in every game.

2024-01-09

Detroit Pistons lead by 20, lose by 21 in 131-110 collapse to Sacramento Kings

Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press

The Detroit Pistons were primed for their biggest win of the season, even without their franchise player. But as they’ve demonstrated multiple times this season, no lead is safe with this team.

As Cade Cunningham sat out his first game of the season with a left knee strain, the Pistons led by 20 points, 47-27, with just over a minute remaining in the first quarter. An absurd 43-9 Sacramento Kings run followed, turning a potential blowout win into one of Detroit’s worst losses in a season full of embarrassing defeats, including five straight to fall to 3-34.

The usual suspects were responsible for Detroit’s collapse — untimely turnovers and poor defense. The Pistons ultimately fell to the Kings, 131-110, in front of an unhappy, sparse home crowd at Little Caesars Arena.

After leading by 19, 59-40, in the second quarter, the Pistons were outscored 91-51 the rest of the way. They committed 21 turnovers — 19 in the final three quarters — and allowed Sacramento to shoot 57.4%. The road team was led by Domantas Sabonis' triple-double (37 points, 13 assists, 10 rebounds), Keegan Murray (32 points) and De’Aaron Fox's 26 points. Malik Monk also chipped in 20 points.

The Pistons were led by Bojan Bogdanovic (26 points, 10-for-14 shooting), Jaden Ivey (22 points, six assists, five rebounds), Jalen Duren (16 points, 10 rebounds) and Alec Burks (16 points). Killian Hayes replaced Cunningham in the starting lineup and finished with four points, seven assists and six turnovers.

The team announced Tuesday morning that Cunningham will be reevaluated in 7-10 days, keeping him out of Detroit’s remaining two home games this week (Wednesday against the San Antonio Spurs, and Friday against the Houston Rockets) and their road game Monday against the Washington Wizards. He could return in time for Detroit’s home game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Jan. 17.

Pistons dominate 1st quarter, flop in 2nd

The Pistons looked unstoppable in the opening quarter, shooting 76% (19-25) in the period while knocking down seven of 10 3-pointers. They got perfect performances from both Bogdanovic (13 points, 5-for-5 overall, 3-for-3 from 3) and Duren (10 points, 5-for-5), who filled the scoring void left by Cunningham — and then some, at least for a quarter.

Head coach Monty Williams said before the game that he's encouraging Duren to be more aggressive as a scorer. The 20-year-old answered the call, scoring eight of his first 10 points on dribble-drives to the rim, rather than with his usual diet of lobs and tip-ins. He finished a hook over Sabonis after a shoulder-bump, crossed-up Murray to get to the rim and took the ball coast-to-coast off of a defensive rebound.

Detroit didn’t lose steam after Williams subbed out the starters for the bench at the 3:50 mark. Kevin Knox knocked down a 3, and then finished a 3-point play to extend the lead to 20, 47-27, with 1:21 to play. Bogdanovic kept rolling early in the second, scoring six points in the first five minutes to push Detroit's lead to 19, 61-42, with 7:15 left until halftime.

The Pistons’ momentum then came to a grinding halt as the Kings took off. Their last field goal of the quarter came at the 7:56 mark, when Bogdanovic knocked down a 3-pointer in transition. A quartet of free throws from Ivey were the only points they could muster as the Kings outscored them by 22 points down the stretch.

The run was fueled by Detroit’s turnover issues, which were exacerbated in the final five minutes after committing just two in the opening period. Detroit turned the ball over on four consecutive possessions to help the Kings score 13 unanswered, and a fifth turnover by Hayes nearly allowed Sacramento to build an even bigger margin. Fox, mercifully, missed the open fastbreak layup on the other end.

Sacramento didn’t take its first lead of the game until 1:10 remaining until halftime, when Fox nailed a floater to put the Kings up by a point, 66-65. Fox nailed another floater shortly before the clock expired, and then opened the third quarter with a free throw to push the run to 27-4 after Alec Burks was whistled for flopping as time in the first half expired.

Back-to-back 3-pointers by Sabonis and Fox gave the Kings their biggest lead of the night up until that point, 83-68, and extended their run to 43-9 with 8:35 remaining in the third. After ending the first half with an eight-minute field goal drought, the Pistons didn’t make their first bucket of the third until Bogdanovic knocked down a midrange jumper at the 9:14 mark.

Pistons rally, fall short

Williams went deep into his bench in search of a spark, inserting Joe Harris midway through the third as the Pistons trailed by double digits. The veteran wing, in his first action since Dec. 23, proceeded to knock down a season-high three 3-pointers in the quarter to help trim Detroit’s deficit.

Burks picked up where Harris left off, catching fire at the end of the third by scoring Detroit’s final 12 points to cut Sacramento’s lead to three, 96-93. Duren capped a 14-3 run Kings run with a layup early in the fourth to tie the game at 101.

Sacramento then put together its last run of the night, outscoring Detroit 30-9 in the final 9 minutes.

2024-01-10

Detroit Pistons unable to put up much of a fight in 130-108 loss to Victor Wembanyama, Spurs

Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press

It’s been a historically bad season for the Detroit Pistons. On Wednesday, they finally faced one of the few NBA teams that can relate.

The Pistons and San Antonio Spurs are the worst teams in each conference, and entered Wednesday’s game at the bottom of the NBA's net rating (which accounts for, on average, how many points you score versus how many points you allow per 100 possessions) — the Pistons at minus-11.1, and the Spurs at minus-11.2.

But San Antonio had its No. 1 pick dressed to play as French rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama made his first visit to Little Caesars Arena.

Cade Cunningham, the Pistons' No. 1 overall pick in 2021, missed his second-straight with a left knee strain. With him in street clothes, San Antonio was the superior team.

A weak first quarter by the Pistons allowed the Spurs to take control early, handing Detroit its third consecutive blowout loss.

The Pistons trailed by 16 points in the first quarter, setting the stage for an 130-108 loss to the Spurs in front of a frustrated Little Caesars Arena crowd. Wembanyama put on a show in a short amount of time, tallying a 16-point, 12-rebound, 10-assist triple-double in just 21 minutes of action. With the victory well in hand — the Spurs led by double-digits for the entire second half — Wembanyama subbed out for good with just over 7 minutes left in the game.

The Pistons were led by Jalen Duren (21 points, 12 rebounds), Jaden Ivey (19 points, five assists) and Bojan Bogdanovic (19 points). As a team, they shot 10-for-32 (31.3%) from 3 and gave up 16 points off of just 10 turnovers.

Pistons unable to rally from poor start

A 23-5 Spurs run in the first quarter essentially put the game away early. The Pistons struggled out of the game, shooting 34.8% overall (8-for-23) and 1-for-5 from 3 in the period as the Spurs shot 51.9%. With 1:25 remaining on the clock, Cedi Osman grabbed an offensive rebound while surrounded by several Pistons and was fouled, splitting the trip to the line to open a 31-15 lead.

The Pistons met Wembanyama with physicality near the basket but ultimately failed to slow him, as he had six points, five rebounds and four assists in the first 12 minutes.

The second quarter was better for the Pistons, as they made 13 of 22 attempts and rallied to cut the deficit to eight. But it was the Spurs who entered halftime with momentum, as a banked-in 3-pointer by Jeremy Sochan extended their lead to 12 right before the buzzer.

It ended up being Detroit’s last surge of the night. San Antonio used a 15-5 run to push their lead to 19 early in the third, and it cracked the 20-point threshold, 83-63, at the 4:37 mark after a 3-pointer from Devin Vassell.

Monty Williams grateful for Pop’s guidance

He stopped short of referring to him as a father figure, but it’s clear that Pistons coach Monty Williams has a lot of respect and admiration for his counterpart Wednesday night.

Williams is one of several NBA head coaches plucked from Gregg Popovich’s coaching tree. He joined the Spurs first as a player, from 1996-98, and it was also Popovich’s first year as head coach. After Williams’ playing career ended in 2003, he joined the Spurs’ coaching staff as an intern before taking an official assistant job with the Portland Trail Blazers in 2005.

The two men developed a strong relationship, which has persisted throughout Williams’ career.

“Pretty much every, or some of the major events in my life, he’s always been there,” Williams said before the game. “You still don’t understand the magnitude of it until you get older and you start to look back at your life a little bit, and you realize some of the foundational people that had a huge impact on my life outside of basketball.

“Whenever I’m going through it as a coach or something in my life is going on, he’s quick to call, shoot a text and there have been times where he’s been ready to jump on a plane and come visit. It’s one of the reasons why I have a home in San Antonio. Because of the connection that I have with him and (Spurs CEO R.C. Buford) and some of the guys I played with there. It all starts with him. How he kinda raised all of us to be about more than just basketball.

"Basketball was the vehicle for all of our relationships. He was like, there’s gotta be more to it than that. When you treat people, the way you spend your day, the way you respect people even though they’re different, all of that’s had a huge impact on who I am as a coach and father, all of it. He’s had a huge impact on me in that way.”

Next up: Rockets

Matchup: Pistons (3-35) vs. Houston (18-17 entering Wednesday night).

Tipoff: 7:30 p.m. Friday; Little Caesars Arena, Detroit.

TV/radio: Bally Sports Detroit; WXYT-FM (97.1).

2024-01-12

Detroit Pistons doomed again by late flubs, not injuries in 112-110 loss to Rockets

Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press

The Detroit Pistons were without their two best players on Friday night, but that wasn't what cost them a potential fourth win this season.

With Cade Cunningham (knee) and Bojan Bogdanovic (left calf soreness) in street clothes, they fell to the Houston Rockets, 112-110, at home after giving up a 10-3 run in the final minutes of the game. The Pistons led by five, 107-102, with just under 4 minutes to play following a pair of poster dunks by Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren on Alperen Sengun.

The Rockets then scored 10 unanswered points, capped by a 3-pointer and midrange jumper by Fred VanVleet (20 points, 12 assists). The jumper was sandwiched by a pair of turnovers by Ivey and Duren. Ivey also missed a pair of free throws that would've extended Detroit's lead to four with 2:17 left. The missed free throws were followed by VanVleet's 3, which gave Houston the lead for good.

Isaiah Stewart, returned from an eight-game absence with a right great toe sprain, knocked down a 3-pointer with just under 30 seconds left to cut Detroit's deficit to two, 112-110. But Ivey's pull-up 3, a potential game-winner at the buzzer, popped out of the rim, and Duren was unable to grab the rebound or tip it back for a shot at overtime.

Kevin Knox, who started in palace of Bogdanovic, scored 11 of his 19 points in the third quarter and grabbed seven rebounds. Alec Burks added 19 points off of the bench, and Ivey (18 points, eight assists, seven rebounds), Stewart (16 points, seven rebounds) and Duren (15 points, eight rebounds) also scored in double digits. Sengun led all scorers with 29 points, and Jalen Green scored 28.

Despite being without their top scorers, the Pistons had one of their better two-way starts of the season. They finished the first half shooting 57.8% overall and hit seven of their 18 3-point attempts (a 38.9% clip) while holding the Rockets to 42.6% overall and just three makes on 14 3s.

A 21-6 run allowed the Pistons to turn a four-point deficit into an 11-point lead early in the second quarter. But Detroit’s mistakes, per usual, eventually sapped the team of its momentum. They committed six of their 13 turnovers in the second quarter, allowing Houston to tie the game at 55 before halftime despite the efficiency disparity between the two teams.

Hot, then cold

A constant in Detroit’s struggles this season has been not just the team’s tendency to commit excessive mistakes, but also the its inability to overcome said mistakes. That wasn’t the case for stretches on Friday, as the Pistons stormed out of halftime with a 17-6 run for another 11-point lead with 8:03 on the clock. But the Pistons went cold, and Houston whittled the lead down again, outscoring Detroit 12-4 at the end of the quarter to cut it to three, 91-88.

The Rockets' run continued into the final period, and a pair of free throws by VanVleet extended it to 18-5 to give the Rockets the lead again, 94-92, with 9:10 to play. Detroit took the lead again at the 6:40 mark, and built the margin to five before Houston erased a 107-102 deficit with a late 10-0 run, spearheaded by VanVleet and helped by a pair of late Detroit turnovers.

Mistakes too costly

Three months into the season, it has become easy to predict when momentum will shift against the Pistons. Throughout all of the losing, this team has managed to go blow-for-blow with contending teams and build double-digits leads ... and then stumble to the mat, brought down by self-inflicted mistakes.

With 4:47 to play until halftime, a jump hook by Duren gave Detroit its biggest lead of the night, 51-39. The Pistons have a habit of giving up big runs following consecutive turnovers. That, once again, was how the Rockets closed the first half with a 16-4 run.

Knox passed the ball to a Rockets defender instead of Duren, who was rolling to the rim. Then Ivey misplaced a pass to Killian Hayes, who cut to the rim from the left wing. Green scored after both turnovers, finishing a transition layup and a pair of free throws. The Pistons — the NBA’s worst at taking care of the ball — entered halftime with 10 turnovers, off of which Houston scored 14 points.

Detroit, for most of the second half, took care of the ball. The Pistons committed just one turnover until the final two minutes of the game, when consecutive lost balls by Ivey and Duren helped fuel Houston’s late game-winning run.

Despite missing Cunningham and Bogdanovic, the Pistons nearly had the win in hand. Ultimately, the injuries didn’t hurt Detroit’s ability to compete — untimely mistakes were the culprit.

2024-01-15

Jalen Duren continues to show skills, Alec Burks snipes to power Pistons past Wizards

Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press

WASHINGTON D.C. — The Detroit Pistons avoided an emotional hangover Monday, a day after swinging their first trade of the season.

In fact, it was the opposite. Big games from Alec Burks and Jalen Duren powered the Pistons (4-36) to just their fourth win of the season on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, defeating the Washington Wizards, 129-117 at Capital One Arena, to end a seven-game losing streak.

It is the Pistons' second road win this season, and first since Oct. 27 over the Charlotte Hornets in the second game of the season.

Burks was electric for the Pistons, tying his career-high with 34 points on 8-for-12 shooting from 3. Duren scored 20 points and made all eight of his attempts, and also grabbed a career-high 19 rebounds. Jaden Ivey had a solid performance with 24 points, seven rebounds and six assists despite five turnovers.

"He was in that bag today," Isaiah Stewart said of Burks. I’m happy for AB, man. He’s a great vet. He can really score the ball. I love playing with him. Every time he steps out on the floor, he’s in range. He’s the type of guy that just hits all types of shots, and once he’s hot, he’s hot. Seeing him have a performance like that today, he deserved that and I’m happy for him."

The Wizards (7-32) were led by Tyus Jones (22 points, seven assists) and Flint native Kyle Kuzma (21 points), who was ejected late in the fourth quarter after picking up his second technical foul.

The Pistons were without top two scorers Cade Cunningham (knee strain) and Bojan Bogdanovic (calf strain).

It was an ironic matchup, considering the teams completed the trade a day prior. The Pistons sent Isaiah Livers and Marvin Bagley III and received Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala in return. All four players were inactive for their new teams. The Pistons also sent two second-round picks.

A 9-0 run at the end of the third gave the Pistons control of the game for good. After committing nine turnovers in the first half for 15 Wizards points, Detroit committed four in the third quarter and two in the fourth.

The Pistons took a game-high 15-point lead with 2:05 after an inbounds pass from Burks set up Duren for a layup. The Pistons shot 55.6% overall and 38.7% from 3 (12-for-31). They also limited the Wizards to 55 points in the second half, after giving up 40 in the second quarter.

"We got momentum off of our stops tonight," Monty Williams said. "To hold, in today’s economy, any team to 30 points in the 4th quarter, it’s huge for a young group to understand that defense travels if we continue to stack the kind of one-on-one defense we had tonight. Timely rebounds. We can continue to build what we want to build.

"I was just proud of the guys, the way they hung in there every day, open hearts and wide-eyed ready to get better, and then doing it with the emotion of a trade says a lot about our group. We all know we have a long ways to go, but when we defend the way we did tonight, outside of that 40-point second, that looked like Pistons basketball."

The Pistons begin a six-game homestand Wednesday vs. Minnesota, the Western Conference's top team.

Duren improving offensive game

With the shot clock winding down, Duren received the ball right above the restricted area. With two defenders between him and the rim, he quickly spun left, losing both of them to get himself an easy layup.

The 19-year-old big man has assumed more offensive responsibility since Cunningham injured his left knee last week, and that play was just one of many where Duren has showcased improved touch and handle. He has scored at least 15 points in his past five games — the last four with Cunningham out.

Turnovers bite Pistons (again) early, but Burks shines off bench

It was a similar script in the first half for a Pistons team that has struggled with turnovers since opening night. They entered halftime with nine, fueling a 19-5 run that allowed Washington to turn the Pistons' nine-point lead early in the second quarter to a five-point deficit midway through it.

Burks started this season hot, and then went through an extended slump, before finding his touch again toward the end of December. The Pistons should be thankful the veteran sharpshooter put together one of his best halves to help them enter halftime with a 63-62 lead.

Burks scored 20 points in the first half, hitting six of nine 3-point attempts. A pair of 3s late in the first period allowed the team to starve off a Washington run and lead by seven at the end of the quarter. His next four 3-pointers were all in the final three minutes and 20 seconds of the half, and his 12 consecutive points scored for the Pistons allowed them to retake the edge.

The Pistons cut down on turnovers in the second half, committing four in the third quarter and zero in the fourth to help them secure the win. Burks’ eighth and final 3 of the day, midway through the fourth quarter, extended the lead to 115-105 and provided the cushion necessary to close the game out.

Next up: Timberwolves

Matchup: Pistons (4-36) vs. Minnesota (28-11).

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Wednesday; Little Caesars Arena, Detroit.

TV/radio: Bally Sports Detroit; WXYT-FM (97.1).

2024-01-17

Detroit Pistons' hot start cools off in 124-117 loss to Minnesota Timberwolves at LCA

Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press

The Detroit Pistons picked up a rare win Monday, defeating a Washington Wizards team next to them in the standings for their fourth win of the season.

They couldn't repeat against the best team in the Western Conference.

The Pistons started hot but couldn't sustain a rhythm on either end en route to a 124-117 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday at Little Caesars Arena. A 18-4 run allowed the Wolves to turn a slim three-point lead late in the third quarter into a 109-92 advantage with just over 10 minutes to play.

Anthony Edwards (27 points, eight assists five rebounds), Karl-Anthony Towns (27 points, six rebounds, four assists) and Rudy Gobert (19 points, 16 rebounds) all had standout games for Minnesota.

Jaden Ivey scored a season-high 32 points and punished the Wolves repeatedly with his ability to drive to the basket. He also made four of his six 3-point attempts. Bojan Bogdanovic returned from a two-game absence with left calf soreness and finished with 20 points.

It was a fast-paced, back-and-forth first quarter with both teams combining for 79 points. And the Pistons led by the end of it, 40-39. Detroit shot 16-for-24 from the field with 13 assists and just a single turnover in the period against the NBA’s best defense.

But Minnesota took control to close the half, outscoring the Pistons, 31-22, and holding them to 38.5% overall shooting in the second. The Wolves led by as many as 12 before a 19-10 Pistons run cut their deficit to 91-88 with just over three minutes to play in the third.

Detroit’s turnover issues appeared in the second half, as they committed six in the third quarter. Marcus Sasser was responsible for two in the final minute of the period to help the Wolves push their lead back to eight.

That momentum continued into the fourth, as back-to-back 3-pointers by Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Naz Reid opened a 17-point lead that the Pistons were unable to rally from. They tried, however, responding with a 17-6 run to cut it to 115-109. Ivey capped the run with a 3-pointer.

Minnesota got the response it needed on the other end, as McDaniels and Towns hit back-to-back 3s to push the lead back to 14 to end Detroit's comeback hopes.

Muscala, Gallinari officially join team after trade

Monty Williams acknowledged during his pregame media session that Wednesday’s game presented an ideal situation for one, or both, of the new players to make their debuts. Both Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala, who the Pistons traded Marvin Bagley III, Isaiah Livers and two future second-round picks on Sunday, were present during Detroit’s shootaround and were active for the game.

They only had limited practice time — the team had to cancel its session scheduled for Tuesday as weather-related flight issues prevented the team from leaving Washington immediately after Monday’s win. The Pistons stayed the night and made it back to Detroit on Tuesday.

“I’ve been talking to the coaches on how to use them properly,” Williams said. “If we can use them both, we will. Tonight’s one of those nights where we’re playing against such a big team, we could see them on the floor. We’ve only had one shootaround to get them acclimated because of the travel situation coming back here. We’ll see how it goes. They both have the ability to play the stretch five, but against bigger teams.”

Both veterans stand 6-foot-10, giving Detroit additional size against a Wolves starting five with three players standing at least 6-foot-9. Muscala checked in for the first time with three minutes to play in the first quarter. He logged five minutes in the first half, and checked in again midway through the third to spell Jalen Duren.

Muscala is known for stretching the floor, but his defensive presence was felt. He tallied two blocks and helped the Pistons wall off Gobert and Towns as they mounted a run in the third quarter to cut their deficit to single digits. The big man played 15 minutes and missed all four of his shot attempts, including three 3-pointers.

Gallinari did not play.

Next up: Bucks

Matchup: Pistons (4-37) vs. Milwaukee (28-13).

Tipoff: 3 p.m. Saturday; Little Caesars Arena, Detroit.

TV/radio: Bally Sports Detroit; WXYT-FM (97.1).

2024-01-22

Detroit Pistons collapse late, can't get over hump in 122-113 loss to Milwaukee Bucks

Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press

The Detroit Pistons had a narrow lead midway through the fourth quarter. From there, the Milwaukee Bucks took over.

A 15-4 run sealed the Pistons' fate, as they fell to the Bucks for the second time in as many games on Monday, 122-113, at Little Caesars Arena. Like Saturday, it was a competitive game with 16 lead changes and 12 ties. But the Bucks made a number of key plays in the final 6 minutes.

A 3-pointer by Malik Beasley gave them a six-point cushion with 3:30 to play, and a wild battle for control of the ball ended with a Brook Lopez dunk to push it to eight. A 3-pointer from former Pistons second-round pick Khris Middleton was the final dagger that pushed the deficit to double-digits.

Marcus Sasser had a strong night with 23 points, and Isaiah Stewart added 19 points, eight rebounds and five blocks (career-high) after missing Saturday's game with a left ankle sprain.

Isaiah Stewart returns, spearheads defense

Late in the first quarter, the fourth-year big man rotated in time to reject Bobby Portis’ 3-point attempt. Detroit’s ensuing fastbreak opportunity ended prematurely with a turnover. Stewart then made his second impressive defensive play in as many possessions, shutting down Milwaukee’s three-man break.

It appeared the Bucks were on pace for a big night behind-the-arc early in the first after knocking down their first three 3-point attempts. The slump that followed allowed Detroit to enter halftime trailing by two, despite also going cold in the second quarter.

Detroit’s defensive struggles have masked another solid defensive season by Stewart, who showed his value on that end after missing Saturday. He led the defensive charge early, and Monday’s first half was one of the team’s better efforts this season.

Milwaukee missed its remaining 14 3-point attempts in the first half, going 3-for-17 (17.6%) to tie their second-worst first-half performance this season. It was uncharacteristically bad for a team ranking fifth overall in makes per game (14.3) and sixth in percentage (38%). The Pistons deserve credit, as they held the Bucks to 41.3% overall and had six blocks through the first two quarters.

The Pistons are the NBA’s worst defensive team, narrowly edging out the Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards with a 120.8 defensive rating. Sustaining energy on that end of the floor has been an issue and is one of the key reasons behind their historically bad start. But they’ve had more life as of late, with Mike Muscala giving the second unit an experienced vet who knows where to be.

Marcus Sasser returns to scoring ways

The rookie couldn’t miss early — or late.

He made his first three shots of the night for 10 points at halftime, and then scored Detroit’s final five points of the third to set up a back-and-forth fourth quarter. A dazzling Euro step layup gave Detroit its first lead of the second half early in the fourth.

The 2023 late first-round pick has been on the edge of Monty Williams’ rotation for most of the season, behind three recent lottery picks, Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey and Killian Hayes, and a veteran in Alec Burks. Despite his lack of minutes, Sasser has been among Detroit’s most efficient scorers shooting 46.4% overall and 41.5% from 3 entering Monday.

Sasser sliced through Milwaukee’s drop defense with floaters and short jumpers, lifting the Pistons following a flat third quarter in which they slumped to 40.9% shooting. He made a strong case for more playing time.

Next up: Hornets

Matchup: Pistons (4-39) vs. Charlotte (9-31 entering Monday night).

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Wednesday; Little Caesars Arena, Detroit.

TV/radio: Bally Sports Detroit; WXYT-FM (97.1).

2024-01-20

Detroit Pistons lose thriller to Bucks, but might have found something with new-look bench

Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press

The Detroit Pistons, down two starters including their franchise player, were outmatched Saturday afternoon against a healthy Milwaukee Bucks team. It was a competitive game, with 15 lead changes and five ties. But the better team prevailed in the end.

The Pistons lost, 141-135, at Little Caesars Arena despite knocking down 21 of 36 3-point attempts to set season-highs in makes and percentage (56.8%). It was a big night for the Pistons' second unit, as Alec Burks (33 points) and Mike Muscala (13 points) combined to hit 11 of their 18 3-point attempts. Ausar Thompson also had one of his best games of the season with a career-high 22 points and nine rebounds.

The Pistons' 85 bench points are the most by any NBA team in a game this season.

Bojan Bogdanovic (19 points) and Jaden Ivey (18 points, six rebounds, six assists) also reached double figures for the Pistons (4-38).

The Bucks (29-13) were led by Damian Lillard (45 points, 11 assists) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (31 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists), who needed big performances to put the Pistons away. Rather than "sell the team" chants, the Pistons got an ovation as the final buzzer sounded in the first game of the season's second half.

“Guys play really hard here, and it’s an honor to be a part of that," Muscala said. "It was a good game today, we just couldn't get it done, especially on defense. We get a chance to play them again on Monday, and obviously they’re a great team. They have a lot of weapons on offense, but I thought we battled hard today."

The Pistons were without Cade Cunningham, who missed his sixth straight game with a left knee strain, and Isaiah Stewart, who suffered a left ankle sprain during Wednesday’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Kevin Knox II started in Stewart’s place.

The Pistons and Bucks rematch Monday night at LCA.

Muscala, Burks and Thompson spark second unit

In his second game with the Pistons, Muscala helped lead a 21-9 run late in the first quarter that put them in control for most of the remaining half. The veteran big man knocked down two 3-pointers within his first minute of action for his first points with his new team. Burks took off from there, knocking down three 3-pointers before the end of the quarter to give Detroit the lead, 38-34, heading into the second.

Muscala has found quick chemistry with the Pistons’ second unit, which also consisted of Burks, Thompson, Marcus Sasser and Danilo Gallinari. Thompson seemed to mesh particularly well alongside the 32-year-old, making up for Muscala's rebounding deficiencies and attacking the space provided with Muscala at center. Thompson also knocked down two 3-pointers, the second game of his career with more than one make. He entered the game an NBA-worst 9-for-69 on 3s (13%).

Milwaukee used a 28-9 run to take an 11-point lead midway through the third quarter, during which Detroit shot just 8-for-23 (34.8%). Burks’ fifth 3-pointer of the night brought the Pistons back within five, though, trailing 103-98 heading into the final period. Muscala proceeded to hit a pair of 3s early in the fourth, giving the Pistons the lead again, 106-105, to cap an 18-10 run.

"Ausar coming off the bench and knocking down shots was huge for his confidence and huge for the development of our young group," Pistons coach Monty Williams said. "Having Gallinari and Mike out there, they’re seamlessly fitting in and figuring out how we play. Burks has been phenomenal. His ability to score the ball, his ability to communicate and help the young guys on the floor have helped us a ton. You don’t typically get that kind of bench production, but with the vets we have coming off the bench, it certainly helps us."

Ivey seizing opportunity with Cunningham out

No team wants to see their star go down. But for Williams and the Pistons, it has been an opportunity for their other highly touted young guard to showcase what he can do with the ball.

Williams only just recently started using Ivey, a second-team All-Rookie selection last season as the Pistons' starting point guard, as an on-ball creator. The 2022 fifth overall pick began the season in an oddly limited role off the bench, and still mostly played off Cunningham as a starter the past month. After an organizational meeting last week, Williams finally embraced using Ivey’s speed and rim pressure as a primary creator.

In his five games without Cunningham entering Saturday, Ivey averaged 23 points, 6.2 assists (and three turnovers), 5.2 rebounds and a steal per game on 46.8% overall shooting. He had one of his best games Wednesday, scoring a season-high 32 points with six assists on 13-for-22 (59.1%) shooting.

But beyond his scoring, his improved effort and execution on defense has also been noteworthy. He didn’t shoot as well on Saturday (6-for-16), but led a third-quarter run that cut an 11-point deficit to two with two minutes left.

“It’s good to see him not just score the ball. Like I said he’s defending, attacking the basket, knocking down open shots,” Williams said pregame Saturday. “I think it’s going to be a good complement with those two playing together within the system. Jaden is a guy that has been resilient, allowed me to coach him hard and try to teach him our system, and then used his gifts and abilities to expand the system. I think he’s just beginning to grow into the player we drafted and that’s exciting to see. We have to turn all of that into winning. That’s a huge step for young players and young teams.”

2024-01-24

Detroit Pistons take advantage of shorthanded Hornets in 113-106 win in Monte Morris' debut

Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press

The Detroit Pistons won their third game of the season over a Toronto Raptors team that had just traded OG Anunoby.

They won their fourth game of the season, over the Wizards in Washington, a day after the two teams swapped role players in Marvin Bagley III, Isaiah Livers, Mike Muscala and Danilo Gallinari.

On Wednesday, the Pistons hosted a Charlotte Hornets team missing former starting guard Terry Rozier, who was dealt to the Miami Heat on Tuesday.

Once again, the Pistons capitalized, beating the Hornets, 113-106, at Little Caesars Arena behind a 33-point effort from Bojan Bogdanovic. It was a tightly-played game with 22 lead changes, 14 ties, and neither side leading by more than eight points.

Detroit went scoreless for 5 minutes in the latter stages of the fourth quarter. The Hornets scored 10 straight in that span to turn a 100-94 deficit into a four-point lead. But an Alec Burks 3-pointer brought the Pistons within one and sparked an 12-2 run to close out the win. Jalen Duren delivered the dagger 37 seconds left, finishing a dunk to give the Pistons a 110-106 cushion.

Flint native Monte Morris finally made his season debut for the Pistons after the team traded for him last offseason. He missed their previous 43 games due to lower back tightness and a right quad strain, and had seven points, three assists and three rebounds in 11 minutes.

Cade Cunningham, who was expected to return from a seven game absence with a left knee strain, was downgraded from “probable” to “questionable” Wednesday morning and was ultimately held out.

“He won’t play tonight,” Williams said. “We just feel like it's gotta get more reps, get his conditioning where we want it to be before we put him out there. We felt like we were in a good place, but just decided to make sure he’s in a good place before he gets out there.”

Burks (15 points), Jalen Duren (14 points, eight rebounds) and Isaiah Stewart (11 points, eight rebounds) all scored in double figures. Brandon Miller led Charlotte with 23 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

Morris shines in debut

It was expected that Morris, the veteran point guard who started ramping up a few weeks ago, would make his debut before the end of January. Lower back tightness held him out of preseason and Detroit’s first month of action, and he suffered another setback in late November when a right quad strain put him on crutches and required a PRP injection to promote healing.

Safe to say, he was eager to see the floor ahead of his first basketball game since March 31.

“I’m like a kid off the first day of school,” Morris told reporters during the team’s shootaround Wednesday morning. “It just feels good to get back out there and help the guys out. I’m excited. I don’t know what my minutes are going to look like, but I’m gonna do what I do when I get a chance, go out there and play my game and just have fun, man. It’s a blessing. I thank God for letting me get through this tough journey. It helped me sit back and see the team and also just revitalate myself and test my mental strength.”

Morris checked in for the first time with 4:02 remaining in the opening period. He was on a minutes restriction due to his long layoff, but made the most of his minutes by quickly knocking down a 3-pointer and midrange jumper, leading a 10-2 Pistons run that gave them the lead, 28-26.

He was replaced by Sasser at the start of the second quarter and checked back in for the second and final time with 7:34 left in the third. The Pistons had just given up a 9-2 run, but a 10-0 run immediately followed Morris' return to take their biggest lead up to that point, 76-68. During the run, Morris hit a midrange jumper before assisting consecutive buckets from Duren (floater) and Killian Hayes (3-pointer).

Monty Williams expects Morris’ shooting and ball control to be a big lift for the team.

“He can make a shot and knows how to play the pick and roll, always been a low-turnover guy,” Williams said during his pregame availability. “His assist-to-turnover ratio has always been, since college. Defensively he’s in the right spot. For me, there’s still unknowns because I’ve never coached him in a game. There’s stuff to learn. We’ll see how it goes. He won't play for a ton of minutes because of where he’s at. It’s good to get another guard with experience on the floor.

“I’m hopeful that it’s a positive effect on the team,” he continued. “Obviously we have a lot of work to do to win an NBA game, but we hope that he has a great effect on that.”

Next up: Wizards

Matchup: Pistons (5-39) vs. Washington (7-36).

Tipoff: Noon Saturday; Little Caesars Arena, Detroit.

TV/radio: Bally Sports Detroit; WXYT-FM (97.1).

2024-01-28

Jalen Duren, bench power Detroit Pistons to best win of season in 120-106 upset of Thunder

Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press

The Detroit Pistons responded nicely Sunday afternoon, 24 hours after suffering one of their most disappointing losses of the season — by upsetting the team with the best record in the Western Conference.

The Pistons crushed the Oklahoma City Thunder at Little Caesars Arena, 120-106, behind a dominant performance from Jalen Duren — 22 points, 21 rebounds and six assists. OKC didn’t have an answer for the 20-year-old second-year center, who powered through rookie Chet Holmgren in the paint to finish jump hooks, along with his usual diet of dunks and put-backs.

Jaden Ivey added 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Pistons (6-40), and Bojan Bogdanovic collected 17 points as they closed the homestand 2-4.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 31 points on 13-for-20 shooting, but didn’t appear in the final period as they trailed by 14 points entering it. OKC (32-14) flies home to host Minnesota on Monday night in a matchup of the top two seeds in the West.

Cade Cunningham, a day after returning from an eight-game absence with a left knee strain, was a scratch at tipoff Sunday despite warming up pregame. Isaiah Stewart exited the game with 9:10 to play in the final period after rolling his left ankle.

Second unit steps up in dominant second quarter

The Pistons' bench play has been a work-in-progress most of the season. Injuries have forced coach Monty Williams to repeatedly tinker with the group in search of a unit that can sustain leads. But a fully healthy bench still couldn’t save the Pistons against the Washington Wizards on Saturday. They led by 12 points with roughly four minutes remaining in the opening period, before giving up a 20-5 run as the second unit checked in and allowed the Wizards to take the lead.

“Obviously, we want to figure out a combination that allows for a bit more ball facilitation quickly,” Williams said pregame Sunday. “We got bogged down a little bit, and I may have to look at and tweak as we go along to figure out a combination, even if it doesn’t look NBA standard. We can have those moments where we can’t get into an offense because of pressure, turnovers, whatever the case may be.”

On Sunday, the opposite took place. Detroit’s starters came out flat, missing six of eight starts to start the game to fall behind 15-5 at the 8:33 mark. With Marcus Sasser replacing Hayes in the second unit, the group opened the second quarter with a 13-6 run to tie the game at 37.

A 3-point play by Ausar Thompson, the Pistons' only defensive answer to Gilgeous-Alexander, tied the game once again at 42. The Pistons moved the ball as well as they have all season, entering halftime with 18 assists against a single turnover that was committed in the opening period.

The Pistons won the second period 46-30, and entered halftime with a 70-61 lead, their highest-scoring first half of the season. The starters had kept the momentum going, and the team entered the break with an 11-2 advantage in points off turnovers (the Thunder committed five), 13-5 advantage in second-chance points and a 9-2 advantage on the offensive glass.

The second unit had a big third quarter as well. A five-man unit consisting of Ivey and four bench players (Monte Morris, Alec Burks, Thompson and Mike Muscala) answered a 17-6 Thunder run by closing the period with a 13-2 run, extending the lead to 100-86 after the Thunder, led by a barrage of midrange jumpers by Gilgeous-Alexander, cut it to three. No OKC starter played 30 minutes.

Cade Cunningham scratched at tipoff

The 2021 first overall pick went through his pregame warmups as usual. Fifteen minutes before tipoff, the team’s official X account tweeted the Pistons had a clean bill of health for the game. But it was Killian Hayes — not Cunningham — who was on the floor to start the game. Shortly after the opening tip, the Pistons said Cunningham was scratched due to knee injury management. (Hayes played just 14 minutes, scored two points and was a minus-9.)

Cunningham was listed as “probable” before the game, marking the second time in three games he ended up sitting out after being listed as “probable.” He had the designation the morning of Wednesday’s game against the Charlotte Hornets, but was later downgraded to “questionable.” His status Wednesday night at Cleveland is unclear.

2024-01-01

Detroit Pistons doomed by poor third quarter in blowout loss in Houston, 136-113

Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press

HOUSTON — The Detroit Pistons trailed by four points at halftime.

Twelve minutes later, they somehow were down by 26.

A disastrous third quarter spelled doom for the Pistons on New Year's night. They were outscored by 22 in the period, pushing them to a 136-113 loss to the Houston Rockets to start their four-game road trip.

The Rockets opened the third with a dominant 40-15 run, and shot a blistering 15-for-22 (68.2%) in the quarter as the Pistons went cold, hitting just seven of their 18 attempts (38.9%). Alperen Sengun came alive in the third, scoring 20 of his 26 points in the period while plowing through Jalen Duren and James Wiseman, who finished it with four and five fouls, respectively. Sengun also dished nine assists.

Detroit was also hurt by an off night for Cade Cunningham, who shot just 3-for-16 for six points. He did finish with 10 assists, though, his second-straight game with a double-digit assist total. But his assists were offset by 17 team turnovers, off of which the Rockets scored a whopping 33 points.

Alec Burks led the Pistons with 21 points, Jaden Ivey added 19 and Duren tallied a 12 point, 13 rebound double-double.

Detroit was unable to build off of Saturday’s win over the Toronto Raptors, which broke their historic 28-game losing streak.

Thompson twins face off

The fourth and fifth overall picks of the 2023 draft had Monday's date circled. It was the first time Amen and Ausar Thompson faced each other as NBA players.

“It’s going to hit me different after the game, but during the game it’ll be like he’s just another player," Ausar said during Detroit's shootaround. "But after it’ll be like, we really played each other. It’s crazy.”

The Thompson twins parents’ weren’t present on Monday, but their big brother — Troy Thompson Jr. — was. He joined Detroit’s Bally Sports broadcast during the first half. Their parents will attend Amen and Ausar’s rematch when the Rockets visit Little Caesars Arena on Jan. 12.

“That shows where their loyalty is at,” Ausar deadpanned.

Ausar finished with five points, four rebounds and a pair of assists. Amen tallied 12 points, six assists, four rebounds and a pair of steals.

Burks bouncing back after long slump

In the second quarter, Burks carried a bench unit that struggled to hit shots as the Rockets threatened to turn a double-digit lead into a blowout. He scored seven straight, hitting a pair of layups, and then a 3-pointer to cut it to eight after they trailed by 12.

A pair of free throws, and then a second triple with four minutes until halftime helped Detroit trim the margin to four, 59-55. The veteran sharpshooter hasn’t been his usual self this season, entering the game 33.7% overall — the lowest of his career by a wide margin — and 34.4% from 3.

His hot stretch showed why Monty Williams stuck with Burks through his struggles. Few players on the roster can do what he can when he’s feeling it. The player who was one of the best scoring backups in the league a year ago is feeling like himself again.

“We didn’t have much choice,” Williams said. “We’ve been limited with healthy bodies. He’s a guy that has a body of work, and I see the work every day. I see his ability to stay in there and be the same guy every day. I know he’s not going to waver. That, for me, gives me confidence to continue to play a guy.

“There were times where the minutes came down a little bit, but you’re not going to go away from somebody like Alec Burks just because he has a body of work that says this is who he is. If he has a slump, it’s going to come back because of the work and who he is.”

It was his second straight strong game after scoring 16 points against the Raptors on Saturday.

2024-01-27

Detroit Pistons 118-104 collapse to Wizards confirms issues far deeper than early injuries

Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press

It took 45 games, but the Detroit Pistons are finally fully healthy.

Cade Cunningham returned Saturday from an eight-game absence due to a left knee strain, in time for their noon matinee against the Washington Wizards at Little Caesars Arena, and a chance to win two straight games for the second time this season after Wednesday’s win over the Charlotte Hornets.

Following Monte Morris’ season debut Wednesday, it was the first time this season the Pistons had a clean injury report.

It wasn't accompanied with a win.

Turnovers were costly for the Pistons during their 118-104 loss to the Wizards in a contest between the NBA's two worst teams. The Pistons committed 17 turnovers — their highest total since Jan. 9 — off which Washington scored 21 points. Cunningham showed rust, responsible for seven of them. He tallied 20 points and 12 assists, and Bojan Bogdanovic led the Pistons with 30 points.

It was already clear the Pistons' rampant issues this season went far deeper than their health issues. Saturday all but confirmed it, as a seven-win Wizards team came to their house and won by double digits for the second time this season.

The fourth quarter was the Pistons' worst, outscored 31-18 while shooting 6-for-21 from the floor. A 3-pointer from Flint native Kyle Kuzma (30 points) with just under three minutes to play extended the Wizards' lead 111-101, and put the Pistons (5-40) away for good. Washington improved to 8-37.

It was the second time the two teams faced each other since they were involved in a trade that brought Mike Muscala and Danilo Gallinari to Detroit on Jan. 14. But it was the first time the players involved faced their old teams, as the first game was a day after the trade, before they passed their physicals.

Former Piston Marvin Bagley III checked in toward the end of the first half and finished with 13 points and eight rebounds. Isaiah Livers (hip injury) did not play.

The Pistons appeared to be on pace for victory, taking a 28-16 lead with four minutes remaining in the first period. They hit nine of their first 10 shots, including three 3-pointers, to open the game.

Then the second unit checked in and momentum grinded to a halt. Washington closed the quarter with a 20-5 run, and Michigan alumnus Jordan Poole hit a 3 in the closing seconds to give his team the 36-33 lead.

The game was never the same for the Pistons, despite leading at halftime, 63-61. They were outscored in both the third (26-22) and fourth (31-19) quarters.

In return, Cunningham spearheads turnover woes

Cunningham’s return, unfortunately, brought back old problems for the Pistons. He was responsible for five of their 10 turnovers in the first half — their highest since Jan. 12, and second time hitting double figures in the first half since Dec. 21.

As a point of reference, they turned the ball over 10 times in the first half in three of their first four games of the season. They had five first-half turnovers in three of their past four games. Most of the turnovers Saturday resulted from bad passes, rather than from defensive plays by the Wizards.

Pistons coach Monty Williams listed improved ball control among the reasons why the Pistons have improved offensively since the trade (ninth in the NBA in offensive rating at 119.3, in five games) during his pregame media session Saturday. He forgot to knock on wood.

Cunningham led the NBA in turnovers through the early portion of the season, but entered Saturday in a three-way tie with LaMelo Ball and Darius Garland at third. Since Dec. 2, he was averaging 2.9 per game — 18th in the league in that span. In his first 19 games, he averaged 4.5.

The third-year guard, Saturday aside, has improved substantially this season, giving him some benefit of the doubt in his first game in nearly three weeks.