Detroit — Searching for their first victory of the preseason, the Pistons hosted the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday and not only lost their third consecutive game, but they lost their starting power forward in the process.
Marvin Bagley III suffered a right knee injury less than one minute into the game and did not return, leaving the team with two healthy active big men in Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren.
Despite the injury, the Pistons remained competitive against the Thunder until they fell into an offensive drought in the third quarter. The dry spell ultimately led to a 115-99 loss, dropping them to an 0-3 record.
Before the game, Dwane Casey told reporters that Isaiah Livers was dealing with a lingering hip injury, therefore he was held out of Tuesday’s game.
Killian Hayes exuded more confidence and led the team in scoring with 20 points and 7 assists in 27 minutes of action. Saddiq Bey added 19 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Cory Joseph used his perimeter shooting, especially in the first half, and totaled 11 points and 3 rebounds. Cade Cunningham finished with 10 points and 7 rebounds.
Hayes and Joseph paced the second unit gave Detroit the offensive lift it needed without the services of Livers. Jalen Duren returned from a shoulder injury and provided a boost in the rebounding department with 10 boards off the bench.
The Thunder’s scoring load was well-balanced as six different players reached double figures. Josh Giddey, Luguentz Dort and Jalen Williams scored 16 points apiece. Darius Bazley added 15 points and 8 rebounds. Tre Mann chipped in 12 points. Alek Pokuseveski had 11 points and 7 boards.
The Pistons look to end their preseason slate on a more positive note on Thursday when Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies come to town.
mcurtis@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @MikeACurtis2