Hobbled Detroit Pistons rally, but fall short to shorthanded Trail Blazers, 119-115

A severely depleted Portland Trail Blazers team team nearly embarrassed the Detroit Pistons at home on Monday.

Instead, they had to settle for a close win.

Without Damian Lillard, Anfernee Simons, Jusuf Nurkic, Josh Hart and several other rotation players, a rag-tag group of Blazers players built a 23-point lead over the Pistons early in the third quarter.

The Pistons were also depleted; starters Jerami Grant and Cory Joseph did not play, nor did reserves Hamidou Diallo, Frank Jackson and Kelly Olynyk. Still, their late rally fell short at Little Caesars Arena.

The Blazers won, 119-115. After trailing, 79-56, with 9:10 to play in the third quarter, Detroit used a 50-26 second-half run to take the lead, 106-105, midway through the fourth.

STIFF COMPETITION: Cade Cunningham isn’t a Rookie of the Year lock. Here’s why race is tight

But turnovers were ultimately the Pistons’ undoing. They gave the ball away 19 times — their highest tally since Feb. 1 — leading to 30 Blazers points. Six of those turnovers came in the final period.

Cade Cunningham finished with 25 points and seven assists, but turned the ball over nine times. Saddiq Bey had 25 points and six rebounds, and Marvin Bagley III added 15 points and nine rebounds.

Brandon Williams led Portland with 23 points, and Ben McLemore added 21.

With several key players out, the Pistons were able to get an extended look at Luka Garza (11 points), Saben Lee (nine points) and Jamorko Pickett (five points).

Cade Cunningham keeps Pistons afloat, but fades late

The Pistons endured one of their worst first halves in quite some time. They shot 34.8% overall — their worst percentage through the first two quarters since shooting 28.9% against the Celtics on Feb. 4, and the first time they shot worst than 44.4% in a first half since Feb. 24. They also shot 2-for-18 from 3.

If it weren’t for Cunningham, the 67-52 halftime deficit would’ve been worse. Last summer’s No. 1 overall pick finished the first half with 18 points, knocking down seven of his 12 shots, and three assists. The rest of the team shot a combined 9-for-34, and Bey was the only other Piston in double figures with 12 points (on 2-for-9 shooting).

MR. MAYOR: Dave Bing has high expectations for Pistons’ future and it starts next season

Portland didn’t have an answer for Cunningham, who played at his usual pace and picked apart the defense to get to the rim.

Cunningham was much quieter in the second half, scoring just seven more points including a long 3-pointer at the fourth-quarter buzzer. Eight of his turnovers were in the second half, including four in the fourth.

Killian Hayes powers second-half run

Monday was Hayes’ second-straight start after finding a groove coming off of the bench as the second unit’s point guard. But injuries have opened the door for him to start alongside Cunningham once again.

Hayes was cold in the first half, missing all six of his shots. But had a more aggressive approach after halftime. All four of his made shots were inside-the-arc, continuing a trend, and he was instrumental during Detroit’s late run. He scored all 12 of his points in the second half, including a steal and transition dunk with 7:10 remaining that tied the game at 1:01.

Hayes also took five free throws, marking his third time in seven games this month he has attempted at least four. Outside shooting might be Hayes’ key to becoming a productive NBA scorer, but he’s also benefitted from attacking the rim more. The biggest blight on Hayes’ night was his foul trouble, as he picked up three in the final period and fouled out with 16.5 seconds left.

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.