The Detroit Pistons caught a break going into Thursday’s game, when Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic was a late scratch with an elbow injury. They caught a second break late in the third quarter, when Kristaps Porzingis exited the game with a sore knee.
It wasn’t quite enough, largely because of former Michigan basketball standout Tim Hardaway Jr. The sharpshooter scored a career-high 42 points, including 17 in the final 5:32 of the fourth quarter, to lead the Mavericks to a 115-105 win over the Pistons (19-45) at Little Caesars Arena.
Isaiah Stewart led the Pistons with a career-high 20 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks, and Frank Jackson also scored 20. Saddiq Bey added 18 points and eight rebounds, and Killian Hayes dished a career-high 11 assists. Hamidou Diallo had a good game off the bench with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
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It’s become a routine for the Pistons to rest their veterans during the past few weeks. They did so again Thursday, with Jerami Grant, Mason Plumlee, Wayne Ellington and Cory Joseph joining Rodney McGruder and Dennis Smith Jr. on the bench.
Coach Dwane Casey went with a young starting five — Hayes, Stewart, Bey, Josh Jackson and Sekou Doumbouya. Three rookies and a second-year player. Two 19-year-olds, a 20-year-old, a 22-year-old and a 24-year-old.
Nearly every young player positively contributed, despite the loss. Stewart and Hayes both delivered career nights, while Bey, Jackson, Doumbouya and Diallo also had good performances.
Stewart had one of his best games as a two-way force for most of the night, converting shots at the rim with ease while disrupting the Mavericks on defense. He had three blocks, and would’ve had four had he not been whistled for a close goaltending violation in the second quarter.
In the fourth quarter, he showcased his range by hitting a pair of 3-pointers — one at the 3:46 mark and one at 3:07. Both 3s gave the Pistons a one-point lead. But Detroit’s offense went cold after the second one, as they scored only three more points the rest of the way.
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Hayes assisted four of Detroit’s first five buckets in the first quarter, and finished the opening period with five assists. He got them in a variety of ways, kicking out to Bey in transition for a pair of 3s, hitting Doumbouya for a 3 and feeding Stewart for two layups. He only scored two points on 1-for-6 shooting, but it was his best night as a passer.
Doumbouya tied his season-high with 14 points on 5 of 10 shooting. He was made an impact as a cutter and hit a layup with 2:25 left to tie the game at 104.
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @omarisankofa. Read more on the Detroit Pistons and sign up for our Pistons newsletter.