For the second game in a row, the Detroit Pistons were unable to capitalize against a team missing two of its three stars.
After losing to a banged-up New Orleans Pelicans squad on the road Thursday, the Pistons returned home Sunday, only to fall again to the Phoenix Suns, who were without Bradley Beal and Grand Rapids native Devin Booker. All the Suns needed was Kevin Durant, who finished with a game-high 41 points to defeat the Pistons, 120-106.
The Pistons, who were without Jaden Ivey due to an illness and Alex Burks (forearm pain), have now lost four straight after winning two of their first three. They were also without Bojan Bogdanovic, Monte Morris and Isaiah Livers, who have yet to make their season debuts due to injuries.
Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 26 points and six assists, but also turned the ball over six times. He entered the game averaging an NBA-high 7.6 turnovers. Rookie guard Marcus Sasser added 22 off the bench while hitting four of his six 3-point attempts. Jalen Duren had a double-double (12 points and 11 rebounds) but committed five turnovers.
Rookie Ausar Thompson stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points, nine rebounds, four assists, four blocks and four steals. The rookie also hit two of three 3s, recovering from missing all six last Thursday.
A sloppy second quarter by Detroit allowed the Suns to take control. With Durant on the bench, Phoenix started the period with a 22-8 run to take a 50-35 lead with 6:51 remaining before halftime. The Pistons struggled down low, giving up a 26-16 rebound advantage and 32 points in the paint in the first half.
But they found a spark to close the half after Durant checked in with 5:51 to go. A layup down the middle by Cunningham capped a 14-4 run that cut cut it to five, 54-49, with 1:04 on the clock. But a pair of layups by Josh Okogie and Durant gave Phoenix a nine-point lead at the end of the period.
The Suns came out strong in the third as well, outscoring Detroit 15-7 in the first 4:12 to build a 17-point lead. It stretched to 19, 80-61, midway through the third following a midrange jumper by Durant, and hit a game-high 21 in the fourth.
Detroit cut it to 10 late in the third, but Durant scored 18 of his 41 points in the quarter to help close out the Pistons. Sunday featured some tough whistles for the Pistons, who were called for 23 personal fouls against just 13 for the Suns. Detroit entered the game averaging an NBA-high 26.2 personal fouls committed per game.
With Ivey out, Sasser’s role increases
Head coach Monty Williams has had a lot of kind words for his rookie point guard as of late. Sasser, the No. 25 pick in the draft this summer, has been one of the Pistons’ best two-way performers, shooting 59.3% overall and 56.3% from 3 while taking care of the ball (14 assists and two turnovers through six games). He played a season-high 23 minutes Wednesday against the Portland Trail Blazers, and matched it with 23 minutes against the Pelicans a day later.
Defensively, he has lived up to his billing after four years starting at Houston. Even without Ivey’s injury, it seemed as though Sasser was positioning himself for a larger role.
“I just think he’s growing as a player,” Williams said before Sunday’s game. “He has some attributes that complement Cade, but he also has some attributes that complement Killian (Hayes) and JI, Sass does a lot. He defends, he can knock down shots, he can facilitate. His IQ is growing.
“He can shoot and defend and facilitate. Those guys typically can fit with a number of players.”
Sasser responded with his best first half of the season, scoring 11 of his 22 points and hitting all three of his 3-point attempts through the first two periods. He was Detroit’s first substitution, coming in for Hayes midway through the first. His third 3, with 2:24 to play until halftime, cut the Suns’ lead to five, allowing the Pistons to enter halftime with a single-digit deficit despite trailing by 15 midway through the second.
Pistons honor Bad Boys in first of many tribute nights
Last Thursday, the Pistons unveiled their new black-and-orange Bad Boys-inspired City Edition jerseys. They debuted the jersey, along with the accompanying Bad Boys-themed court, Sunday.
It was the first of nine games this season in which the Pistons will pay homage to the Bad Boys, and the 35-year anniversary of their 1989 championship — the first title in franchise history. To recognize the occasion, Pistons legend Isiah Thomas was seated in the first row and received a rousing ovation when introduced on the Little Caesars Arena video screen during the first half.