Continuing the new format from last month, I will be pinning the post-game thread for this December’s Pistons loses games.

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    11 year ago

    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).