The Detroit Pistons dropped the final game of the season to the Miami Heat 120-107 and end the year with the second-worst record in the NBA.
In a game that saw the Heat with nothing to play for and rest Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Trevor Ariza, Kendrick Nunn and Goran Dragic, nothing could slow down Detroit’s tank.
I was a little concerned Detroit would fall backward into a victory when it was announced the Pistons didn’t have Mason Plumlee on the injury report and Cory Joseph was upgraded to questionable.
In the end, though, Plumlee didn’t even dress and Cory Joseph played 30 pretty inconsequential minutes.
The Heat took quick care of the Pistons, leading 32-13 after one quarter and Detroit fans could rest easy and just enjoy the young guys finishing out the season.
Detroit was led in minutes and in scoring by rookie Saddiq Bey who scored 22 points and hit 4-of-15 from deep. The rookie point guards also got plenty of run and Saben Lee had 10 points and seven assists while Killian Hayes had 10 points and only four assists, breaking his consecutive games streak of at least five assists at 14.
Seven Pistons joined Lee and Hayes in double figures. Josh Jackson scored 17, Hamidou Diallo had 15, Cory Joseph had 14, Tyler Cook 12.
The Miami Heat were led by rookie center Precious Achiuwa with 23 points and 10 rebounds.
The loss closes Detroit’s record at 20-52 and the second-worst record in the league. That means Detroit not only has the top odds at landing the No. 1 pick along with Houston and Orlando, but that the lowest the Pistons could fall in the draft would be the sixth overall pick.
The Pistons’ odds look like this:
No. 1 pick: 14%
Top 3 pick: 40.1%
Top 4 pick: 52.1%
No. 5 pick: 27.8%
No. 6 pick: 20%
Now it is time to endlessly review prospect tape!