MINNEAPOLIS — The first three quarters featured some of the most evenly matched basketball the Detroit Pistons have played all season. The Minnesota Timberwolves held a narrow 83-79 lead, but that was after 17 lead changes, with Minnesota’s lead peaking at eight, and Detroit’s at five. Both teams traded runs, with the shooting splits nearly identical.
Unfortunately for the Pistons, the final run of the game belonged to the Timberwolves, who outscored the Pistons by nine in the final quarter to collect a 118-105 victory at the Target Center. Second-year forward Jaden McDaniels stepped up in the fourth to help Minnesota pull away, scoring 11 points and knocking down all three 3-point attempts.
MISSING CADE: Cunningham Q&A: Why I was eager to embrace Detroit
A FRANK LOOK: Jackson ‘knows who he is,’ and that’s helping the Pistons
ROTATION SHUFFLE: Pistons figuring out new rhythm with Jerami Grant, Kelly Olynyk back
Saddiq Bey led the Pistons with 24 points and knocked down six of 11 3-point attempts, Trey Lyles scored 16 and grabbed seven rebounds and Cory Joseph added 15 points. Killian Hayes tallied 10 points — all in the fourth quarter — and a team-high eight assists.
Detroit shot 29-for-71 through the first three quarters, and Minneapolis shot 30-for-71. But the Wolves shot 60% and knocked down five of six 3-pointers in the final period to clinch the win.
Hayes’ improvement off bench
It has been two weeks since the coaching staff moved Hayes to the bench after he returned from a minor hip injury. Hayes and Cade Cunningham hadn’t found much chemistry starting together. Cunningham is best with the ball in his hands and has proven himself to be a capable shot creator for himself and others. It left fewer touches for Hayes, who often ended up standing in the corner.
By moving him to the second unit, coach Dwayne Casey and his staff hoped it would allow Hayes to have the ball in his hands more and encourage him to be more aggressive. Hayes’ game has improved since, and his fourth quarter on Sunday — which saw him play with the Pistons’ usual starters — showed Hayes is far more comfortable in his new role.
Hayes made all five of his shot attempts in the fourth, with eight points drives to the rim. He finished three layups from a variety of angles and found space for a driving dunk in the final two minutes of the game. Hayes hasn’t been one to frequently attack the rim during the early portion of his career. He looked like a different player against Minnesota, which struggled to contain him.
Despite moving to the bench, Hayes has closed several games for the Pistons in the last two weeks. The ‘Wolves pulled away in the fourth quarter, but he’s proving he can thrive with multiple units.
Stewart continues rebounding streak
Isaiah Stewart had 12 rebounds Sunday, for his fifth straight game with double-digit rebounds and the longest streak of his career. Of his 11 rebounds through three quarters, seven came on offense, a step up from his prevous four games: Over that span, Stewart had 53 rebounds, with 24 on offense.
Stewart’s streak includes two double-doubles, though he scored just five points in Minneapolis.
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.