The Indiana Pacers held the lead for much of the second half, until a Saddiq Bey 3-pointer gave the Detroit Pistons a 96-94 lead midway through the fourth quarter.
But the Pistons played catch-up for most of the rest of the quarter, and former Michigan basketball standout Caris LeVert (28 points) went on to ice the game with 5.7 seconds left with a stepback 3-pointer, handing the Pistons a 116-111 road loss. It was the second-straight defeat for the Pistons, who fell to 12-31 overall.
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Jerami Grant got fouled while attempting a 3-pointer with 2.3 seconds left, but it wasn’t enough to close the gap. He missed the first free throw with the Pistons trailing by five points, and Domantas Sabonis hit a pair of free throws on the other end.
Grant led all scorers with 29 points (10-for-20 overall, 7-for-9 at the free-throw line), six rebounds and two blocks. Saddiq Bey and Wayne Ellington scored 16 points each, and Mason Plumlee had a double-double with 12 points, 10 rebounds and four assists.
Ellington excels after absence
The Pistons missed Ellington, who missed four games with a right adductor strain. Ellington returned on Wednesday, and did what he does best — space the floor.
He hit his first three attempts from 3 and shot 6-for-7 overall and 4-for-5 from deep. Detroit’s offense looked much better when he was on the floor. His ability to draw the attention of multiple defenders created opportunities for his teammates. He punished Indiana’s defenses during a fastbreak in the fourth quarter by finding a cutting Tyler Cook for a one-handed alley-oop dunk.
Ellington provided the Pistons with the type of outside shooting they sorely lacked during Sunday’s loss to the Chicago Bulls, when they made a season-low four of their 25 attempts from outside. It also helped that his teammates stepped up in that area. As a team, Detroit was 11-for-28 (39.3%) from outside.
It could have been Ellington’s last game with the Pistons this season. The NBA trade deadline is on Thursday, and he’s a likely candidate to be moved considering his status as a veteran shooter on a minimum deal. If Wednesday was his final game in Detroit, it was a fitting send-off. The front office brought him in with the expectation that he would be a positive role model for the young players on the roster. He did that while putting together one of the best seasons of his 12-year career.
Pistons continue evaluating Cook
Cook, a 23-year-old former Iowa standout, inked a 10-day deal with the Pistons last week. Dwane Casey has made a point to find playing time for Cook and give him a chance to audition. Wednesday was his third game for the Pistons, and while he’s mostly played spot minutes, she’s shown a little of what he could bring in a larger role.
He was vocal on defense during Sunday’s game against the Bulls, and Casey praised that aspect of his game afterward. It’s not something that comes naturally to many young players, and it’s notable that Cook is already talking less than a week with the team.
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @omarisankofa. The Free Press has started a new digital subscription model. Here’s how you can gain access to our most exclusive Pistons content. Read more on the Detroit Pistons and sign up for our Pistons newsletter.