December 2023 Post-Game Recaps
Continuing the new format from last month, I will be pinning the post-game thread for this December’s Pistons loses games.
Continuing the new format from last month, I will be pinning the post-game thread for this December’s Pistons loses games.
2023-12-30
Cade Cunningham helps Detroit Pistons bust 28-game losing skid with 129-127 win vs. Raptors
Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press
Sixty-three days separated the Detroit Pistons' second and third wins this season. At least they can enter the new year with their heads held high.
The Pistons (3-29) snapped their 28-game losing streak Saturday with a 129-127 win over the Toronto Raptors at Little Caesars Arena. The Pistons had already set the NBA's single-season record for consecutive losses and tied the all-time record set by the Philadelphia 76ers across the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.
Their previous win? A 118-102 thumping Oct. 28 of the Chicago Bulls at LCA. The Pistons finish 2023 with just 10 wins — they are 5-52 since Feb. 10 — and will now aim to set a better tone in 2024 when they face the Rockets in Houston on Jan. 1 to start a four-game western road trip.
On Saturday, Cade Cunningham had a rough start but came alive late, thanks to a strong night at the free throw line. He scored 26 of his 30 points in the second half, and went 8-for-8 at the line through the first three quarters with just made four field goals in the same span. He also dished out 12 assists with zero turnovers.
"I’m proud of how our guys have continued to fight through adversity," Pistons owner Tom Gores said in a released statement postgame. "I know it's been hard, but they've kept their heads up and showed real character. The streak is over, but the hard work continues.”
A few hours before the game, the Raptors (12-20) officially tiopped off trade season by sending OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn to the New York Knicks for RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and the Pistons' 2024 second-round pick.
It allowed the Pistons to face a team that not only had to play without three rotation players and its best defender, but was also coming off a 120-118 road loss to the Boston Celtics less than 24 hours prior. Toronto still shot the ball well (50.5% overall, 50% from 3) but was outdone by a Pistons team that got strong performances across the roster.
Toronto's Pascal Siakam led all scorers with 35 points, but the Pistons got strong nights from Bojan Bogdanovic (19 points), Jalen Duren (18 points, 17 rebounds) and Kevin Knox II (17 points).
The Pistons took control in the first half as the Raptors went cold after a hot start, taking a 52-44 lead entering halftime after Toronto shot 6-for-23 in the second quarter. The Pistons picked up after making just six of 21 shot attempts through the first nine minutes of the opening period.
Offensive rebounding and a rare productive night for the bench (led by Alec Burks’ 16 points on 4-for-6 shooting) helped the Pistons build a lead even though Cunningham struggled early.
He had four points on 1-for-8 shooting in the first half, after averaging a staggering 33 points, 7.4 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals on 56.9% overall shooting over his past five games.
The Pistons can credit a strong night at the foul line, knocking down 35 of their 40 attempts to hold off the Raptors' furious last-minute rally.
The Pistons went 14-for-17 on free throws in the final quarter.
The Raptors took a one-point lead multiple times and tied it at 85 with a Siakam layup. Detroit finished the third period with a pair of free throws from Ausar Thompson and a contested corner 3-pointer by Bogdanovic, extending the lead to 90-86. Burks then opened the fourth with an entry pass to James Wiseman for a dunk.
The home crowd rose to its feet and cheered in the final moments as the Pistons left the court with smiles.
"I’ve been in a ton of locker rooms my whole life, and that’s a first for me, to have that kind of, it wasn't relief. It was just like, 'Thank God,'" head coach Monty Williams said. "Finally. Guys were screaming. I was almost in tears. I’m just so happy for our guys, happy for everybody in the locker room. Sometimes it just takes a win like that to get things started.
"I’ve said it so many times that I think people may have thought that they were ok with losing, but they came in every day with a great spirit and they wanted answers and they came in wanting to learn and get better. We rarely came into the gym with a bad spirit. We always had our joy because knew that if we put it together we could win just not one game, but put many wins together. I just respect the heck out of our guys. Really happy, and we finally got a win. Because it’s so hard to win in this league. It was pretty cool."
Burks, Knox lift Pistons early
You could almost hear a collective groan in the arena when Williams handed the reins to his bench with four minutes left in the first. The Pistons' units without either Cunningham or Bogdanovic on the floor have been routinely crushed by teams. The group (Burks, Killian Hayes, Isaiah Livers, Ausar Thompson and James Wiseman) initially gave up a pair of Raptors baskets and struggled to find room offensively.
But after their first possession together ended with a shot clock violation, Burks picked up the slack. The veteran sharpshooter drew fouls on a transition layup attempt and 3-pointer and made all five free throws, and then knocked down a catch-and-shoot 3 to put the Pistons ahead 25-24 after a quarter.
They sustained their momentum, too. Knox and Livers knocked down back-to-back 3s to extend the lead to 47-37 with just over three minutes remaining in the second.
Knox continued rolling in the third, scoring seven points with a 3 and a pair of inside baskets, including a poster dunk of Jakob Poeltl, to help the Pistons sustain a lead through the first half of the quarter. Knox scored all 17 of his points in the first three periods, and finished 7-for-14 shooting.
Burks has struggled for most of the season, shooting 32.6% overall and 32.8% from 3 entering the game. Saturday was a return to form.
"He always says it comes back around," Cunningham said. "I always say it to him, I call him ‘All Buckets,’ because when I stepped into the league when he was in New York, I didn’t like playing against him. To have him on the squad, that’s what he does is score the ball. It’s something that even through the slump, I trusted him to knock down shots, because that’s what he does. It was only right that it came back around in a big moment for us."
Cunningham finishes strong
One of the NBA's hottest players these past two weeks, Cunningham appeared to be in store for a rough night. Shots didn't fall early, though he did have four assists.
Cunningham knocked down eight of his 12 attempts in the second half, including a handful of big shots in the final period. On consecutive possessions, he knocked down a pull-up 3-pointer and found Jaden Ivey open for a 3-pointer to give the Pistons their biggest lead of the night, 110-99, midway through the fourth.
With 1:34 to go, Cunningham knocked down a midrange jumper to give the Pistons a 116-107 cushion, nearly icing the game and ending 2023 on a joyful note after a historically horrendous stretch.
2023-12-28
Detroit Pistons grab 21-point lead, give it all back in loss to Celtics as skid hits 28
Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press
It was a familiar ending for the Detroit Pistons. But the path to get there was still one of their better efforts of the season.
They faced the NBA’s best team, the Boston Celtics, on the road and went toe-to-toe with them for most of the game at TD Garden in Boston. But it was another collapse for the Pistons, who led by 21 points in the second quarter and by 19 points at halftime before giving up a massive run that gave the Celtics a four-point lead early in the fourth quarter, and, eventually, a 128-122 victory in overtime.
The loss extends the Pistons' losing streak to 28 games, an NBA record for a single-season skid. It also ties them with the 2014-15/2015-16 Philadelphia 76ers for the longest skid regardless of season. (Those 76ers lost 10 games to finish the '14-15 season and 18 to start the '15-16 campaign.) Detroit can claim the record outright with a loss in its next game, Saturday night against the Toronto Raptors at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
Cade Cunningham continued his hot streak with 31 points and nine assists — scoring 22 points in the first half — but also had six turnovers. Jaden Ivey (22 points) and Bojan Bogdanovic (17 points, 12 rebounds) hit big shots late, and Jalen Duren (15 points, 14 rebounds) helped the Pistons stay competitive late by controlling the offensive glass.
With Isaiah Stewart in street clothes due to a sprained toe, head coach Monty Williams debuted a new starting lineup — Cunningham, Ivey, Bogdanovic, Duren and Kevin Knox. The group had immediate chemistry on both ends of the floor — at least, early on — enabling the Pistons to build an early double-digit lead to enter the second quarter with a 30-27 lead.
But the Celtics, who have not lost on their home court in the regular season since March, would not be denied, climbing back into the game with 35 points in the third quarter.
A pair of 3-pointers from Cunningham and Alec Burks allowed Detroit to bounce back from Boston’s huge run. That was followed by a late 10-0 Celtics run which threatened to put the game away, as a deep 3-pointer by Kristaps Porzingis (who led all scorers with 35 points) extended their lead to six, 106-100. But Ivey answered with two of the biggest shots of the night, finishing a 3-point play and a corner 3-pointer to tie the game.
Cunningham was whistled for a goaltend on a layup attempt by Jayson Tatum (31 points) with 8.1 seconds to go, but Bogdanovic tipped in Cunningham’s missed 3 on the other end to tie the game with 4.1 seconds remaining. Tatum’s contested jumper missed, sending the game into overtime.
The Celtics clinched the game with a 10-2 run that gave them a six-point advantage, 123-117, with 45 seconds remaining. A missed step-back 3 by Bogdanovic led to an easy fastbreak dunk for Porzingis, and Isaiah Livers missed a pair of free throws on the following possession with just under 30 seconds left.
Cunningham stays red hot
Amidst the Pistons’ historic struggles, Cunningham has been playing the best basketball of his career this month. Entering Thursday, he was averaging 24.3 points, seven assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 11 December games while shooting 50%. His marksmanship from midrange, along with improved playmaking (down to 2.9 turnovers per game in December after leading the NBA in October and November with 4.5 a game) has largely made up for his 30.9% percentage beyond the arc.
He entered Thursday coming off of arguably his best game yet, scoring 37 of his 41 points in the second half as the Pistons fell just short against the Brooklyn Nets, 118-112. That was only a week after he had what was unquestionably his best game, as he scored a career-high 43 points — with seven assists, five rebounds and three steals — in a road loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
Cunningham shot lights-out in third and fourth quarters on Tuesday, making 13 of his 16 shot attempts. He picked up right where he left off Thursday, scoring 10 of the Pistons’ first 18 points as they built an early 28-17 lead toward the end of the first quarter. The team lost some momentum after Williams went with an all-bench lineup toward the end of the quarter, and Boston used a 14-2 run to take the lead, 31-30, early in the second.
The Pistons punched back. A contested Cunningham 3-pointer midway through the period gave Detroit a nine-point advantage, and the team continued to move the ball in halfcourt situations and punish Boston in transition. Cunningham maintained his fire, finishing a pair of free throws, gorgeous move to the rim for a layup and yet another midrange jumper to help Detroit enter halftime with a 19-point lead, after outscoring Boston 36-16 down the stretch.
Celtics take control in bad quarter for Pistons
Detroit has been plagued by cold spells during their historic losing streak. They might’ve had their worst of the season on Thursday, following arguably their best first half. Boston outscored them 35-16 in the third, shooting 13-for-19 as the Pistons looked lethargic on both ends.
The run tied the game at 82 entering the fourth, and a pair of Derrick White baskets gave Boston a four-point advantage early in the period.
The Piston answered with a 10-2 run though, positioning them to send the game into overtime before ultimately falling short.
2023-12-03
Bojan Bogdanovic shines in return, but Pistons lose to Cavs, 110-101, for 17th straight
Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press
It was his first game in 276 days, but Bojan Bogdanovic didn’t miss a beat.
The 34-year-old forward made his season debut on Saturday night, after missing 19 games with a calf injury, and picked up where he left off last season with a 22-point outing on 7-for-15 shooting. But it didn’t make a difference in the win column for the Detroit Pistons.
The Pistons’ franchise-record losing streak now stands at 17 after losing, 110-101, to the Cleveland Cavaliers at Little Caesars Arena to fall to 2-18. Detroit committed 16 turnovers, which became 21 Cavaliers points, and shot just 8-for-29 from 3.
Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 21 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds. Jalen Duren added a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds, and Killian Hayes sparked the Pistons with 13 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Detroit led by eight points, 73-65, with 4:08 to play in the third after Bogdanovic split a pair of free throws. But the Cavaliers finished the half with a 15-5 run to take the lead going into the fourth, taking advantage of an all-reserve unit that couldn’t sustain the Pistons' momentum.
Bogdanovic hit a stepback 3 to cut Cleveland’s lead to three, 100-97, with 4:19 left. But the Pistons had too many empty possessions late. Bogdanovic missed an open 3 off of a Cunningham drive-and-kick , and a pair of buckets by Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell pushed Cleveland’s lead to 104-97 with 2:33 remaining.
Jarrett Allen iced the game a minute later with a putback dunk, and Mitchell put the cherry on top with a 3-pointer with 41 seconds remaining that pushed Cleveland’s lead to 109-97 and its run to 9-0.
Bogdanovic brings the big shots
The Pistons clearly missed their veteran sharpshooter.
“He’s the one guy that, outside of pretty much me, he can really coach guys up about things that matter,” head coach Monty Williams said before Saturday's game. “And they take it well for him because I think they have respect for how he goes about his business. Obviously his skill, his competitive side. I think that it can have a great effect on us.”
Williams noted that the veteran forward would be on a minutes restriction. Bogdanovic made his debut midway through the opening quarter — to an ovation from the home crowd — and knocked down his first shot attempt, a 3-pointer, that barely grazed the net. He was Detroit’s second-leading scorer at halftime with nine points.
He picked up right where he left off by adding eight more points in the third. His final score of the quarter, with 8 seconds on the clock, cut Cleveland’s lead to one, 83-82, after Detroit’s bench unit gave up an 11-0 run. Bogdanovic finished with 27 minutes played, and closed out the fourth quarter.
Williams debuts three-guard starting lineup
The Pistons might've finally found a breakthrough in maximizing Cunningham’s game. Against the New York Knicks on Thursday, Cunningham adopted more of an off-ball role. Rather than initiate Detroit’s offense, Williams leaned on his other guards — Killian Hayes, Jaden Ivey and rookie Marcus Sasser— to set up Cunningham.
He responded with his most efficient game of the season, finishing with 31 points and eight assists on 60% shooting — his highest percentage of the season. Cunningham still had seven turnovers, but his shot quality improved significantly.
So Williams doubled down on Saturday, inserting Ivey back into the starting lineup alongside Cunningham and Hayes. Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart remained the starters at the four and five, presumably to match up against the Cavs’ twin towers in Allen and Evan Mobley.
“I’m learning about this group as we go along, and one of the things is we believe we can have a bit more balance as far as when Cade has the ball, when he’s off the ball, but also using guys like Killian and Sass and JI to get the ball down the floor a bit faster,” Williams said. “I think that may relieve Cade of some of the pressure of getting the ball down the floor, then organizing, and playing against all these defenses.”
The unit got the Pistons off to an encouraging start. Cunningham was stronger as a playmaker than scorer this go-around, dishing out six assists in the opening quarter. He found Duren for a trio of dunks and hit Stewart with two pinpoint passes to get the big man easy looks at the rim. But Cunningham went cold, finishing the first half with seven points and seven assists on 2-for-9 shooting.
The unit rediscovered its footing in the third quarter, opening the half with a 12-2 run to take the lead again, 60-56, at the 8:42 mark. It played with energy and purpose, forcing three turnovers and hitting four of six attempts in the first three minutes of the half. And Cunningham found his touch again with a pair of catch-and-shoot 3s.
The Pistons led by seven, 77-70, midway through the third before the bench gave up an 11-0 Cleveland run.
2023-12-21
Detroit Pistons drop 25th straight with cold finish in 119-111 loss to Utah Jazz
Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press
The Utah Jazz arrived at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday with more key players missing than the Detroit Pistons — a rare sight this season. Star forward Lauri Markkanen sat out on the second night of a back-to-back due to an ailing left hamstring. Three more of their top six scorers this season — Jordan Clarkson, Talen Horton-Tucker and Keyonte George — were also on the injury report.
The Jazz were coming off of Wednesday's road loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, an eight-point loss despite Cleveland missing its three top players (Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Darius Garland).
On paper, Thursday was Detroit’s most winnable game in weeks.
But there’s no such thing as an easy matchup when you’ve lost 24 in a row.
Poor execution, again, cost the Pistons late and led to them dropping their 25th game in a row, a 119-111 loss to the Jazz.
“I think where we are, we don’t have any room to think about those things,” Monty Williams said before the game. “We have to play to a certain level from the start and then not skip steps. We understand these kinds of games, we’ve had them already. From my perspective, it’s always about playing a certain way, obviously playing against certain talent. All NBA players have to be respected.”
The Pistons are now a game away from tying the NBA's single-season record of 26 straight losses, set by the 2010-11 Cavaliers and the 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers. Next up is a road game Saturday against the Brooklyn Nets, followed by a rematch with the Nets in Detroit on Tuesday.
The Pistons had their chances Thursday.
Bojan Bogdanovic's second 3-pointer of the night brought them within four, 104-100, with 4:39 remaining in the fourth. A pair of free throws from Cade Cunningham a minute later cut it to two, 106-104. But Utah pushed it to six with a pair of free throws by John Collins, followed by a fastbreak dunk by Collins following a Jaden Ivey turnover — Detroit's 20th of the night.
Cunningham and Ivey both missed 3-pointers on the Pistons' next possession, and an offensive rebound on Utah's ensuring play found Kelly Olynyk, who knocked down the dagger 3 with 2:24 on the clock. The Pistons went cold late, shooting 7-for-21 overall and 1-for-10 from 3 in the final period.
Cunningham led Detroit with 28 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds, but was also responsible for six turnovers. Ivey finished with 24 points, seven assists and five rebounds, and Bagley tallied 22 points. The Jazz were led by the ex-Piston Olynyk (27 points, six assists) and Collin Sexton (19 points, eight assists).
Early hope
Detroit found early momentum, taking a 27-19 lead with 4:44 remaining in the opening period after Cunningham knocked down his first 3-pointer. But the Pistons lost said momentum after Cunningham and Bogdanovic (who had a quiet night with eight points on 3-for-12 shooting), checked out a minute later.
The Jazz had already cut the deficit to five, and their run gained steam with Detroit’s top scorers on the bench. By the 9:25 mark of the second, the Pistons had been outscored 26-5 and trailed by 13, 45-32, despite the return of Cunningham and Bogdanovic at the start of the period.
That stretch, along with 12 first-half turnovers by the Pistons, helped the Jazz carry a 64-58 lead into halftime. Williams had previously been staggering Cunningham and Bogdanovic’s minutes, with the recognition that the team has struggled with both on the bench. Detroit managed to tie the game twice in the second half but couldn’t take the lead.
Pistons struggle to take care of ball, again
A third of the way into the season, the Pistons are still among the worst in the NBA at taking care of the ball. Their 16.4 turnovers per game are a marginal improvement from earlier in the season but still the league's second-highest mark, surpassed only by the team on the opposite end of the floor Thursday night. The Jazz have coughed the ball up 17 times a night. But they were far more organized than the home team.
Detroit's 12 first-half turnovers were four short of their season high, but it was their 10th time this season with double-digit giveaways through the first two periods. It negated an otherwise solid offensive start that saw them finish the first half shooting 53.3% overall and 41.2% from 3.
Looks like the designer of the schedule image above missed this game:
2023-12-06
Detroit Pistons go cold late, fall to Memphis Grizzlies, 116-102, for 18th straight loss
The Memphis Grizzlies are one of the few teams who can relate to the Detroit Pistons’ early season injury woes.
Not only is superstar Ja Morant out for two more weeks due to a suspension, the Grizzlies were also without starting center Steven Adams, key big man Brandon Clarke, former Pistons lottery pick Luke Kennard and veteran Marcus Smart — nearly a starting lineup-worth of talent.
Ultimately, it didn’t matter. Desmond Bane (49 points, eight assists) and former Michigan State basketball star Jaren Jackson Jr. (24 points) carried the Grizzlies, accounting for 62.9% of their point total
But it was their largely-unproven role players who iced the 116-102 win in the final period, handing the Pistons (2-19 overall) their 18th consecutive loss.
Memphis shot just 5-for-16 from deep through the first three quarters, but Jackson, David Roddy, Santi Aldama, John Konchar and Vince Williams Jr. all hit a 3-pointer each in the fourth quarter to push Memphis’ lead to double-digits.
Bane, who shot 19-for-31 overall, hit the dagger 3-pointer with 57 seconds remaining to push the lead back to 12. The final period was the Pistons' worst, shooting 6-for-21 overall and 4-for-13 from 3, several of which were wide-open. The Pistons were outscored, 34-18, in the fourth, after taking an 84-82 lead into the final period.
Bojan Bogdanovic, in his second game back from injury, led Detroit with 22 points. Jalen Duren (17 points, 11 rebounds), Cade Cunningham (16 points, 10 assists) and Killian Hayes (12 points) also reached double-figures.
Jaylen Nowell (12 points) was Memphis’ only other player to reach double-figures.
Adding injury to insult, in the second half Duren seemed to re-injure his left ankle which has forced him to miss several stretches of games already this season.
Bojan starts, shows off playmaking
There are many aspects to Bogdanovic’s game the Pistons missed while the veteran forward missed the first 19 games of the season. Much has been said of his floor-spacing and overall scoring. But he’s also one of the better all-around playmakers on the roster.
That was on full display Wednesday, as he dished all seven of his assists in the first half. He was a big reason why the Pistons were able to punish Memphis in the paint, where they scored 34 of their 56 points first half points.
Bogdanovic pushed the ball and rewarded Detroit’s cutters, assisting a Hayes dunk in transition early in the first quarter and finding Duren for another dunk, this time off of a dump-off pass. He sparked a Pistons run after he checked in again midway through the second, finding a cutting Ivey for a layup and connecting with him once again 39 seconds before halftime to give Detroit the lead, 53-52.
He then closed the first half with style, waiving off an open Ivey in the corner and burning time off of the clock before hitting a stepback-3, extending the lead to four.
Hayes showcases improved shotmaking, exits early
Is it time to label Hayes a midrange merchant?
It’s still early in the season, but the fourth-year guard is enjoying a career-best season inside-the-arc so far. Per Cleaning The Glass, he’s hitting 67% of his shots at the rim (55th percentile among NBA combo guards), 47% from short-midrange (62nd percentile) and 45% on all midrange shots (53rd percentile). It’s his first time shooting at least league-average on midrange shots, and it has been his go-to.
His success continued Wednesday, as he hit a pair of midrange jumpers in the second quarter to help Detroit stay within striking distance, then completed a 3-point play at the end of the third to give the Pistons a two-point lead.
Hayes exited the game with 9:20 remaining in the fourth while wincing in pain, but he returned to finish the game with 3:40 left.
Next up: Magic
Matchup: Pistons (2-19) at Orlando (14-7), NBA In-Season Tournament consolation game.
Tipoff: 7 p.m. Friday; Amway Center, Orlando, Florida.
2023-12-08
Detroit Pistons pummeled by Orlando Magic, 123-91, as skid hits 19
Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press
ORLANDO — The Detroit Pistons entered the game with a losing streak old enough to vote — 18. Soon, it may be old enough to drink.
The suffered their 19th straight loss on Friday, 123-91 to an Orlando Magic team that was next to them at the bottom of the standings two years ago. The Pistons are now 2-20 this season and barreling toward the NBA's worst record, while Orlando improved to 15-7 to remain in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Detroit now has an unfathomable 4-43 record in its past 47 games, after dropping 23 of their final 25 last season.
Orlando shot 53.5% (23-43) in the first half, taking control with a 46-26 run after the Pistons opened an early 18-12 lead. Detroit opened shooting 8-for-12, but unraveled after reserves began checking in midway through the first.
Jaden Ivey was the first substitution, as head coach Monty Williams made a change from Detroit’s previous two games (which featured Ivey checking in at the start of the second quarter). He was soon joined by Joe Harris —returning after missing a month with a sprained shoulder — Ausar Thompson and James Wiseman.
Killian Hayes started and played well early, hitting five of his first six shots while playing the entire first. But the rest of the unit struggled to score — the Pistons didn’t make a field goal for more than 5 minutes — from 5:38 remaining in the first until Hayes hit a midrange jumper with 5 seconds on the clock. In that span, Orlando took control to lead 28-23 at the end of the period.
The Pistons remained cold in the second quarter, shooting 8-for-21 as the deficit ballooned to 14, 58-44, at halftime. Orlando kept its foot on the gas, opening the second half with a 22-7 run that expanded the deficit to 29, 80-51, midway through the third.
Marvin Bagley III started in place of Jalen Duren, who will miss two weeks after spraining his left ankle against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 21 points and six assists, and Hayes (16 points, seven rebounds) and Alec Burks (14 points) also reached double figures.
The Pistons clearly missed Duren, as they gave up 74 points in the paint and didn't have an answer for Michigan alumnus Franz Wagner (27 points) and 2022 No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero (24 points). Detroit shot just 6-for-30 from 3 and turned the ball over 16 times, leading to 19 points for the Magic.
Harris returns, but bench comes up short again
A game after Duren landed on the injury report, the Pistons got a lift when Harris — who last played on Nov. 5 while dealing with a shoulder sprain — returned on Friday.
But the career 43.6% sharpshooter — the fourth-highest 3-point mark in NBA history — has struggled so far; he hitjust 31.6% of his triples in his initial seven games. Williams acknowledged he would have to see if Harris’ shooting picks up. But he added the veteran can also help the roster in other ways.
“I’ve seen him in workouts and in practice,” Williams said before Friday's game. “We’ll have to see. But that’s what he’s done his whole career. His voice, his experience is really important to us. I’ve gotta manipulate the rotation a little bit to find a slither for him to get on the floor, because he’s important to the growth of our young guys. Joe can help someone like Ausar, talking to him while he’s out there on the floor with him, and also playing the role of a spacer and defender and being in the right spots. I’m hopeful to try to find spots for him to get out there and help us.”
Harris checked in midway through the first quarter, but wasn’t able to help the bench as it was pummeled by Banchero and the rest of the Magic. He took, and missed, one shot attempt in just four minutes of action.
It was another weak effort for Detroit’s bench, which Williams acknowledged on Wednesday he needed to tweak in search of more production. The second unit mustered just seven points in the first half — six of which were scored by Alec Burks — on 2-for-12 shooting.
The bench improved marginally in the second half, with Burks and Ivey combining for 16 points in the third. But the game was well out of hand at that point, as Orlando led by as many as 29 before the end of the period.
2023-12-12
Detroit Pistons sputter late against Indiana Pacers, lose 20th straight game
Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press
It had all of the makings of a trap game.
The Indiana Pacers, fresh off of an In-Season Tournament championship loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in Las Vegas last Saturday, could've arrived in Detroit fatigued and figuratively hungover.
Instead, the NBA's best offense won a shootout against a team in desperate need of a win.
The Pacers defeated the Detroit Pistons, 131-123, at Little Caesars Arena on Monday, the Pistons' 20th straight loss. The Pistons trailed by five, 111-106, with 7:24 to play in the fourth. Indiana used a 15-8 run to close out the win, with Tyrese Haliburton (14 points, 16 assists) hitting the dagger 3-pointer at the 3:49 mark to extend the deficit to 12.
It was a hot shooting night for both teams, as the Pacers were 56.5% overall and the Pistons were 55.6%. But Detroit was outrebounded, 43-30, and gave up 11 offensive rebounds for 21 second-chance points.
Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 23 points, seven assists and six rebounds, and Ausar Thompson added 20 points and six rebounds, scoring in double digits for the first time since Nov. 29. Jaden Ivey (18 points off the bench), Bojan Bogdanovic (17 points), Alec Burks (14 points) and Isaiah Stewart (13 points, seven rebounds) also reached double figures.
Bennedict Mathurin led all scorers with 30 points off the bench, and Myles Turner added 23 points and eight rebounds.
Injuries force new lineup, rotation
In addition to Jalen Duren (out at least two weeks with a sprained ankle), Detroit lost another player on Monday — Marvin Bagley III sat out with right lower back spasms. It forced Monty Williams to shift Isaiah Stewart to center after spending much of the season at power forward. Thompson took Stewart’s spot in the starting lineup, joining Cunningham, Bogdanovic and Killian Hayes.
The unit clicked, scoring a season-high 36 points in the first quarter. Cunningham scored 11 in the first six minutes. But it was a porous defensive quarter for both teams — the Pacers shot 71.4% and the Pistons 53.8%. Detroit did force eight turnovers, though, helping them nullify Indiana’s efficiency.
Williams teased last week that he wanted to get Ivey more involved in the offense. He and Isaiah Livers were the first subs off of the bench midway through the first, for Hayes and Bogdanovic. Subbing Bogdanovic out earlier than usual allowed Williams to keep either him or Cunningham on the floor at all times during the first half to try to avoid the offensive lulls that have occurred when both players have sat.
James Wiseman was the only other healthy center on the roster, and he and Stewart combined to play 22 of 24 first-half minutes. Williams closed the first quarter with a four-guard lineup (Cunningham, Ivey, Hayes, Alec Burks, Bogdanovic), and Kevin Knox made a cameo at center to open the second quarter.
Ivey sees expanded role
It wasn’t until the 2:38 mark of the third quarter that Williams went with his first all-bench unit. Perhaps he felt more comfortable with it because of Ivey.
The second-year guard has had an inconsistent role, but he was among the first subs off the bench for the second game in a row. He spent significant time next to Cunningham and played more minutes than Hayes in the first half. He also closed the second half alongside the starters, replacing Hayes.
Ivey was the de facto go-to player with the bench unit to close the third and open the fourth, and his rim pressure posed problems for Indiana’s defense. He scored six points, and got Wiseman an open putback dunk with another drive that ended with the ball rolling off of the rim.
Bogdanovic and Cunningham re-entered the game for good early in the fourth quarter, with Ivey remaining on the floor with Thompson and Stewart. Ivey closed out the game and played a season-high 34 minutes.
Thompson bounces back
It had been a quiet few weeks for last summer's fifth overall pick, who came off of the bench the last four games before returning to the starting five on Monday. The rookie picked up at least four fouls in four of his last six games, and struggled offensively with a bigger percentage of his shots coming from 3.
Williams noted last week that he needed to get Thompson more involved as a screener and roller, and did just that. Detroit’s opening play was a pick-and-roll with Cunningham that got Thompson an easy layup. He did most of his damage at the rim, finishing a high-arcing lob from Cunningham over Obi Toppin’s shoulder and a two-handed dunk between two Indiana defenders following a steal. He played 33 minutes, his highest total since Nov. 13.
Next up: 76ers
Matchup: Pistons (2-21) vs. Philadelphia (15-7).
Tipoff: 7 p.m. Wednesday; Little Caesars Arena, Detroit.
TV/radio: Bally Sports Detroit; WXYT-FM (97.1).
2023-12-13
Detroit Pistons pounded by Philadelphia 76ers, 129-111, to tie losing streak record
Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press
Midway through the fourth quarter, the camera operators at Little Caesars Arena showed a crying child on the video screen over center court.
There’s no better summation for Wednesday’s game: The Detroit Pistons lost their 21st in a row, crushed by the Philadelphia 76ers, 129-111. It wasn't all that close, either, as the Pistons trailed by 30 midway through the fourth.
They had one of their worst performances of the season from behind the arc, hitting 10 of 33 3-point attempts (30.3%). That mark was only manageable after hitting seven of 13 attempts in the fourth quarter with the game already out of hand — they were 3-for-20 (15%) at the end of the third. 76ers center Joel Embiid drives around Pistons guard Cade Cunningham during the first half of the Pistons' 129-111 loss on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023, at Little Caesars Arena.
Joel Embiid feasted on a Pistons frontcourt depleted by injuries. Jalen Duren and Marvin Bagley III were in street clothes, leaving Isaiah Stewart as the lone starting big and James Wiseman as the lone backup. Embiid finished with a tidy 41 points (on 14-for-24 shooting), 11 rebounds and five assists while making all 12 of his free throws in just three quarters of action.
Stewart was ejected with 6.8 seconds remaining in the third quarter, as the Pistons faced a 22-point deficit and Wiseman sat on the bench with five fouls. Pressed back into duty, Wiseman — who scored 10 points and grabbed three rebounds — fouled out with just under 10 minutes remaining in the fourth while contesting a layup by Paul Reed. Head coach Monty Williams closed the game with Kevin Knox playing out of position at the five.
The Pistons were led by Bojan Bogdanovic, who scored 12 of his 33 points in the final period to prevent the team from losing by at least 30 for the second time in three games. Cade Cunningham tallied 21 points, seven assists and six rebounds but made just five of his 17 attempts.
Ausar Thompson also scored in double figures, with 10 points and seven rebounds.
Embiid dominates Pistons’ small frontcourt
Embiid, who entered the game averaging an NBA-high 33.4 points, also leads the league in free throw attempts per game with 11.6. It’s his fourth straight season either ranking first or second in that category. He gets a quick whistle from referees, and the Pistons saw it firsthand in November when he attempted 19 free throws in a 114-106 victory in Detroit.
When asked how to limit Embiid from getting to the line, Williams’ pregame response was apt.
“This is a fine-able moment for me,” he joked. “You’re trying to get me in trouble.”
Williams couldn’t talk about Embiid’s free throws without criticizing how he’s officiated. The reigning MVP certainly got the benefit of the doubt in the first quarter Wednesday, as he took nine of Philadelphia’s 15 attempts at the line in the period. He forced Williams to turn to Wiseman less than four minutes into the game, after Stewart picked up his second foul at the 8:35 mark.
Embiid didn’t need to rely on the free throw line to score, though. He finished the first half with 30 points and 10 rebounds, on 10-for-16 shooting, and didn’t attempt a free throw in the second quarter. Detroit’s lack of size hurt, and Embiid’s strong start allowed the Sixers to maintain a double-digit lead for most of the first half and all of the second.
2023-12-15
Detroit Pistons' worst loss of season (by 32) sets franchise record with 22nd straight loss
Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press
PHILADELPHIA — The game was already well in hand for the Philadelphia 76ers, but the Detroit Pistons were, at the least, generous losers.
They gave the Wells Fargo Center crowd one last thing to cheer about as their 76ers led the Pistons by 36 midway through the fourth: A pair of missed free throws by Marcus Sasser earned every fan in the arena five free chicken nuggets from Chick-Fil-A.
It produced one of the loudest roars of the night, and was the cherry on top of a bitter sundae for the Pistons in a season that will go down as one of the most unfortunate the franchise has ever seen. With history on the line, the Pistons failed to execute in virtually every facet, falling 124-92 to the 76ers.
The Pistons (2-23) wound up losing by 32 — tied for their worst loss of the season — for their franchise-record 22nd consecutive loss. The previous record was owned by the 1979-80 (14 losses) and 1980-81 Pistons (seven), who strung together 21 straight losses. This year’s iteration had long surpassed the previous single-season record, which was 14. It's the sixth longest single-season losing streak in NBA history, with No. 23 — which would tie the 1996 Vancouver Grizzlies, the 1997 Denver Nuggets and the 2012 Charlotte Hornets for the third-longest — looming Saturday night with a visit to the Milwaukee Bucks.
The 32-point defeat comes just a week after the previous 32-point loss, last Friday against the Orlando Magic.
At halftime in Philly, Detroit had made just 15 of 43 field goals attempts (34.9%), one of 11 3-point attempts (9.1%) and turned the ball over 12 times. The Sixers capitalized, outscoring the Pistons 35-17 in the second quarter to build a 22-point lead at halftime. The lead ballooned as high as 41 in the fourth quarter.
It was Detroit’s second straight blowout loss to the Sixers, following a 129-111 defeat Wednesday at Little Caesars Arena. And it was another dominant showing by Joel Embiid, who followed Wednesday’s 41 point, 11-rebound, five-assist performance with 35 points and 13 rebounds on Friday. He had just two assists Friday, at least.
Wednesday's game involved sparks between Sixers guard Patrick Beverley and Isaiah Stewart, who retaliated after being elbowed in the stomach by the veteran. Beverley got away with it, but Stewart’s shove, which knocked Beverley off of his feet, earned the Pistons forward an ejection with just 6.8 seconds left in the third quarter.
The two exchanged words an hour before Friday’s game and had to be separated by assistant coaches and security, but that fire didn’t extend to the game. Only one starter — Bojan Bogdanovic — scored in double figures (17 points). Stewart, Cade Cunningham, Killian Hayes and Ausar Thompson combined for 19 points, despite playing at least 20 minutes each.
James Wiseman had 20 points and 13 rebounds — both season highs. The positives stop there for Detroit, which hit just four of its 21 3-point attempts (a season-low 19%, after nearly setting a season low Wednesday) and turned the ball over 21 times, their second-highest total of the season.
Head coach Monty Williams virtually waved the white flag in the third quarter, when Sasser and Joe Harris checked in with 4:33 on the clock, and the team facing a 33-point deficit.
Where do Pistons go from here?
There's only one notable observation from this game: The Pistons look demoralized. It showed in their body language. Nearly every turnover and missed shot produced outward shows of frustration.
The Sixers are a bad matchup, as Embiid was able to take advantage of a team missing two of its four bigs in Jalen Duren and Marvin Bagley III. But this team's woes have been present since the second week of the season, regardless of who has been in uniform.
2023-12-23
Detroit Pistons tie NBA record with 26th straight loss after falling 126-115 to Nets
Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press
With just under 8 minutes remaining in Saturday's game at Barclays Center in New York, Jaden Ivey knocked down a 3-pointer to cut the Detroit Pistons' deficit to 12 points.
The Pistons hadn’t led since early in the first quarter, when the Brooklyn Nets countered their game-opening 6-0 run with a 7-0 run. Following that exchange of leads, Detroit repeated many of the mistakes that had landed them with a franchise-record 25-game losing streak, resulting in the Pistons tying the NBA's all-time single-season record of 26 consecutive losses, thanks to a 126-115 stumble.
Take, for example, the possession following Ivey's 3: Isaiah Stewart committed a flagrant foul on Cam Thomas during a 3-point attempt. The shot went down, and Thomas knocked down the free throw. Just 2 seconds into Brooklyn’s following possession, Ivey fouled Mikal Bridges, who then hit both free throws — and suddenly the deficit was up to 18, yet another example of the Pistons' tendency to stumble in key moments. Detroit later cut the lead to 10, but got no closer in its history-tying defeat.
The Pistons, who haven't won since Oct. 28, are now linked with the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers and 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers in NBA ignominy. Attention now turns to Tuesday, when the Pistons will look to avoid owning the record outright when they host the Nets at home. (There's more potential history this week, too: The league record for consecutive losses over any span is 28, set by the 76ers at the end of the 2014-15 season and the beginning of the 2015-16 season.)
Burned in Brooklyn
On Saturday, Detroit was hurt by turnovers and a lack of offensive rebounds. The Pistons turned the ball over eight times in the first half — six in the first quarter — for 13 Nets points, and also gave up 11 second-chance points in the first half. They finished the game with 13 turnovers — a reasonable number, especially considering their ongoing issues with ball control — but allowed Brooklyn to score 22 points off them.
The Pistons' porous defense also allowed the Nets to shoot 52.3%. They didn't help themselves at the line, either, missing seven of their 29 free-throw attempts.
Jaden Ivey led Detroit with 23 points, seven assists and six rebounds. Cade Cunningham played just 10:38 in the first half after picking up his third foul less than 4 minutes into the second quarter, but tallied 17 points in nearly 23 second-half minutes to finish with 22 points and six assists. Stewart had a strong night on offense, knocking down four of five 3-point attempts for 20 points.
Bojan Bogdanovic (19 points, eight rebounds, four assists) and Kevin Knox (14 points, 3-for-3 from 3) also scored in double figures. The Nets were led by Bridges' 29 points.
Detroit trailed by nine at halftime, but cut the margin to two midway through the third period. Stewart knocked down his fourth 3, and Ivey followed that with a layup to bring the score to 77-75. But the Nets closed the third with a 21-7 run, extending their lead to 16 entering the fourth quarter.
Thomas pushed the lead to 18 with a layup to open the fourth, and got the ball right back after Cunningham lost the ball following an inbounds pass. Just like that, Brooklyn had scored 15 unanswered points and pushed Detroit’s deficit to 21. The Pistons cut it to 10 with just over 4 minutes remaining after a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws by Ivey. But Cameron Johnson iced the game a minute later with a 3-pointer that gave Brooklyn a 15-point lead again.
2023-12-18
Cade Cunningham scores career-high 43, but Detroit Pistons suffer 24th straight loss
Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press
ATLANTA — A career night from Cade Cunningham allowed the Detroit Pistons to have their most competitive game in more than a week.
It wasn’t enough.
The Pistons ended their three-game road trip with an 130-124 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, extending their franchise-worst losing streak to 24. Cunningham was electric, finishing with a career-high 43 points, seven assists and five rebounds on 16-for-24 shooting in 44 minutes. Bojan Bogdanovic also had a strong night with 25 points, knocking down five 3-pointers and shooting 9-for-17 overall.
Ultimately, the Pistons couldn’t overcome a barrage of 3-pointers. The Hawks made nine of 12 attempts in the first quarter, and 7 of 16 in the fourth quarter to fend off a Detroit team that finally showed signs of life after suffering blowouts in four of their last five games. They whittled separate 16-point deficits down to six, in the second and third quarters, but weren’t able to sustain runs long enough.
Detroit was also hurt by a poor performance at the free-throw line (19-for-27), but rebounded after a string of poor performances from behind-the-arc by hitting nine of 22 attempts (40.9%). Down six with just over a minute to play, James Wiseman missed a pair of free throws that dumped cold water on the comeback hopes.
The Pistons were without Isaiah Stewart, who missed his second straight game with a shoulder sprain, and Killian Hayes, who missed his second game of the season due to illness. Williams replaced Hayes with Jaden Ivey in the starting lineup, alongside Cunningham, Bogdanovic, Ausar Thompson and Marvin Bagley III.
Cunningham, Bogdanovic carry Pistons in loss
Both Cunningham (22:23) and Bogdanovic (20:03) logged season-highs in first-half minutes played. Perhaps it reflected Williams’ — and everyone else’s — desire to snap their franchise-long losing streak.
The duo made his decision worthwhile, as they combined for 24 points on 10-for-20 shooting in the first half and helped the team whittle a 16-point deficit midway through the second quarter down to nine at halftime by closing the period with a 21-14 run.
Both players stayed hot in the third, scoring 11 each in the period. And the second half was Cunningham’s best, tallying 29 points in the final 24 minutes.
Cunningham came out firing, as he had a hand in Detroit’s first 11 points of the second half. He knocked down a deep 3 off of an inbounds pass before the shot clock expired, drove and finished a dunk, blocked Clint Capela to get Bagley a transition dunk, found Thompson for an alley-oop dunk, stole the ball from Young and then got a transition dunk for himself to help Detroit get its slimmest deficit of the half, 68-63, at the 9:27 mark.
Bogdanovic also caught fire, going 3-for-3 from 3 in the period. Cunningham played the entire third, and Bogdanovic logged nine minutes. Even with their standout performances, the Pistons struggled to sustain runs. They entered the final period with a 12-point deficit, and trailed by 16 midway through it despite slicing the deficit to five early.
No rest for the weary
Williams attempted to give the duo a rest to open the fourth, but was forced to check them back in at the 9:47 mark after a transition dunk by Okongwu, off of a Wiseman turnover, pushed Atlanta’s lead back to 14. At that point, Cunningham had already played 34 minutes and Bogdanovic logged 29.
Cunningham kept rolling. A 3-pointer, a 3-point play on a driving dunk and a pair of free throws cut it back to six, 113-107, with 6:11 remaining. He found Bagley for an alley-oop dunk to cut it to six again, but mental mistakes — along with more 3’s from Atlanta — cost the Pistons late. Hunter knocked down a pair of 3-pointers that extended the lead back to 13, with just under four minutes remaining. It ended up icing the game.
Following the alley-oop, Alec Burks (who had a poor night by shooting 2-for-11) missed a wild shot from midrange, and Bagley was called for a moving screen. The miscues sandwiched Hunter’s back-breaking 3-pointers late. Cunningham’s third 3-pointer cut it down to seven, and the Pistons trailed by six with 1:34 remaining after a tipped-in layup by Wiseman.
But with an opportunity to cut it to four with 1:03 to go, Wiseman missed a pair of free throws, delivering the final blow to the Pistons.
Next up: Jazz
Matchup: Pistons (2-25) vs. Utah (9-17 entering Monday).
Tipoff: 7 p.m. Thursday; Little Caesars Arena, Detroit.
TV/radio: Bally Sports Detroit; WXYT-FM (97.1).
2023-12-16
Detroit Pistons blown out again, fall to Bucks for 23rd straight loss, 146-114
Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press
MILWAUKEE — At this point in a disaster of a season, it’s about the moral victories.
There were a few more positives in Saturday’s blowout than Friday’s blowout. Cade Cunningham bounced back after mustering only four points against the 76ers the night before. The Detroit Pistons shot better overall and from 3.
And, well ... they didn’t trail by 40 points at any point either.
But alas, a blowout is a blowout. The Pistons suffered their second 32-point defeat in as many nights, falling to the Milwaukee Bucks, 146-114, extending their losing streak to 23 games, the third most in NBA history. The Pistons are now 2-24.
This was a quick defeat — the Bucks (18-7) led by 23 points after the first quarter and by 30, 54-24, with 10:12 remaining in the second quarter.
With three minutes to go until halftime, Thanasis Antetokounmpo — Milwaukee’s human victory cigar — checked in. There was no question what the final outcome would be. To Detroit’s credit, he got a quick hook at the 55-second mark after the margin was cut to 21.
Cunningham finished with 25 points, six assists and knocked down 10 of 17 free throws. Bojan Bogdanovic added 24 points, and Marvin Bagley III, who returned from a three-game absence due to a lower back sprain, scored 12. The Pistons remained thin at center, as Isaiah Stewart missed the game with a left shoulder sprain.
Two Milwaukee players reached the 30-point threshold — Damian Lillard (33) and Bobby Portis (31, plus 12 rebounds). Giannis Antetokounmpo added 22 points, eight rebounds and six assists. The Bucks shot 56.8% and knocked down 19 3-pointers, completely dwarfing the Pistons, who shot just 21.4% (6-for-28) on 3s.
The Pistons' next chance to end their skid is Monday against the Hawks in Atlanta to close out their three-game road trip.
Pistons’ shooting woes continue
After shooting a season-worst 19% from 3 in Friday’s 32-point loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit went through similar woes again in Milwaukee. Wide-open shots clanked off of the rim. Bogdanovic, Alec Burks and Isaiah Livers, the primary spacers on the team, were a combined 2-for-13.
It’s tough to put a finger on why shots haven’t been falling. They’re not struggling to generate open shots. Is there a psychological element to it?
“It may be,” head coach Monty Williams acknowledged after Friday’s loss. “I’m not sure. To me, it’s like you can’t think about how many games you lost in the game. You have to do the things necessary in the game, with a clean slate in your mind, to go out there and play free basketball. But I do get the question, and that may be a question for the players. We haven’t shot the ball particularly well for a while. I keep believing that we’re due for a big game shooting the ball and defending and rebounding the ball at a higher level.”
2023-12-26
Cade Cunningham unable to prevent Detroit Pistons from losing 27th straight, new NBA record
Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press
Eight days after scoring a career-high 43 points against the Atlanta Hawks, Cade Cunningham nearly one-upped himself.
The 2021 first overall pick did everything he could to prevent the Detroit Pistons from making history, finishing the night with 41 points on 15-for-21 overall shooting, nine rebounds and five assists. He scored 18 points in the third quarter, and 19 in the fourth.
It wasn't enough.
The Pistons lost, 118-112, and have now set the NBA's all-time in-season record with 27 consecutive losses. It was a festive night at Little Caesars Arena. Nearly every seat was filled, and the Pistons wore their alternate Bad Boys-inspired jerseys on a night that honored the 35th anniversary of the team’s 1989 title.
But the cheers turned to boos and "sell the team" chants for the second time in a week when it became clear that the Pistons would lose. Two big 3-pointers by Cameron Johnson (team-high 24 points) and Dorian Finney-Smith in the final two minutes allowed the Nets to maintain control as Cunningham got to the rim at will.
After missing three weeks with ankle soreness, Jalen Duren returned and finished with 12 points and 15 rebounds.
Cunningham carries Pistons in second half
Because of foul trouble, Cunningham didn’t have a notable first half. He entered halftime with just 12 minutes of playing time due to picking up three fouls, and just four points.
Cunningham came out swinging in the second half, sparking the Pistons (2-28) after an 11-point deficit threatened to put them away with more than eight minutes left in the third. He scored nine of Detroit’s first 11 points in what was a 17-6 run that gave the team its first lead since the first quarter, 77-76, with 4:24 remaining in the period. Cunningham’s 18 points in the third came on 6-for-7 shooting and 5-for-5 at the free-throw line.
His momentum carried over to the fourth. Detroit took the lead again, 91-90, after a block by Cunningham led to a transition layup for Bojan Bogdanovic. Then Cunningham knocked down a 3 with 8:09 remaining in the game that extended the lead to 97-92.
Detroit’s collapse began right after, as the Nets rattled off 13 straight points before Cunningham knocked down a short midrange jumper to break the spell. That basket cut the Pistons' deficit to 105-99 with 4:34 to go. A slick hesitation and crossover with just under a minute left cut the deficit to two and drew the loudest roar of the night. But Finney-Smith's 3-pointer in response, followed by two free throws by Mikal Bridges (21 points), iced the game for Brooklyn.
Duren returns, powers strong start
With Duren back, the difference in Detroit’s frontcourt was immediately apparent. His physicality and length at the rim was tough for the Nets to match early on, and was a factor in them missing their first five shots of the night.
Detroit gained its biggest lead, 22-8, midway through the period off the strength of their defense. That hot start cooled after Duren checked out, but the Pistons still won the quarter, 31-25 — their first time winning a first quarter in six games, with their last being against the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 11.
The second-year center had missed eight consecutive games, with his last being the Pistons’ home loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Dec. 6. During his pregame media availability, Monty Williams said that Duren’s return would be “very big” for the team. Duren immediately showcased his value, grabbing six rebounds and scoring six points in the opening period.
“Not just the size of JD, but his ability to rebound and talk on the floor and all of that stuff,” Williams said. “It allows for the rotation to settle a bit. We’ve missed his athleticism and his size. His ability to screen for such a young player, he has a presence about him at the same time. At the same time, it’s not going to solve taking care of the ball, but it will help with the rebounding. He’s gotta take care of the ball when he does have it, but there’s still things we need to do to complement his skillset.”
Next up: Celtics
Matchup: Pistons (2-28) at Boston (23-6).
Tipoff: 7:30 p.m. Thursday; TD Garden, Boston.