With two weeks remaining in the season, the Detroit Pistons are stumbling to the finish line. They had lost 16 of their last 17 games before hosting the Milwaukee Bucks — who own the NBA’s best record — on Monday. The Pistons, with just 16 wins, own the league’s worst record.
The final result was predictable, even with Milwaukee missing two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (right knee soreness) and two-time All-Star Jrue Holiday (personal reasons), as the Pistons lost, 126-117. Former Pistons second-round pick Khris Middleton filled the void with 34 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
The loss spoiled a career night by Jaden Ivey, who scored a career-high 32 points with eight assists and eight rebounds while shooting 11-for-12 at the free-throw line. It was a strong night for the rookies, as Jalen Duren had 18 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. Marvin Bagley III (16 points, nine rebounds), Killian Hayes (14 points, five assists) and James Wiseman (14 points, six rebounds) also reached double figures in scoring.
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Brook Lopez (24 points, 14 rebounds), Jevon Carter (22 points, 6-for-7 from 3) and Bobby Portis Jr. (21 points, 14 rebounds) carried most of the scoring duties for Milwaukee. Detroit cut a 15-point deficit to three early in the third quarter with a 16-4 run, but was hurt by a poor night from 3. The Pistons made just 7 of 24 3-point attempts, but otherwise had a solid offensive night shooting 44.6% overall and dishing 22 assists against 10 turnovers.
Pistons eliminate big deficit, but fall short in fourth
With 3:04 to play before halftime, a pair of free throws from Portis extended Milwaukee’s lead to 55-40. Until that point, it had been a dreadful offensive start for the Pistons. They were just 14-for-45 from the floor (31.1%), and Hayes and Wiseman were a combined 3-for-16 while struggling to make shots at the rim and from short midrange against the Bucks’ pesky defensive duo of Lopez and Carter.
But Detroit closed the half with an 11-2 run to enter halftime trailing, 57-51. Duren was key, finishing an alley-oop through contact before splitting a trip at the free-throw line to extend a 9-0 Pistons run. Hayes then answered a Milwaukee bucket with a midrange jumper with 1.2 second remaining on the clock.
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After a competitive third quarter, Milwaukee pulled away in the final period. Detroit cut the deficit to 97-95 with a Bagley hook and then forced a Bucks shot clock violation 40 seconds later. But Carter’s fifth 3-pointer of the night gave Milwaukee a 102-95 advantage, and his sixth 3-pointer midway through the quarter extended their lead to 14.
Detroit went cold late, shooting 9-for-22 in the final 12 minutes.
Ivey, Wiseman spearhead third-quarter turnaround
Detroit’s fifth overall pick appeared to be in store for a big night when he hit his first two shots of the opening period — a midrange jumper and 3-pointer. When he has found his shooting touch early, good things often follow.
Ivey picked up where he left off after halftime, scoring 14 in the third quarter to help the Pistons win that period by a 39-37 margin. Milwaukee struggled to contain him, and he made six of his free throws attempted, including a pair of three-point plays.
He ended the quarter by showing off his chemistry with Duren, connecting with his rookie center on an alley-oop and a driving and dump-off for a second dunk in the final three minutes of the period. It was a hot quarter for the Pistons, as they shot 14-for-20 overall after hitting just 10 of their 26 attempts in the second. Ivey crossed his previous career-high of 30 points late in the third quarter, knocking down his third 3-pointer with 31 seconds remaining.
Wiseman kept Detroit’s second-quarter momentum going by scoring eight points in the first five minutes of the period, including a hook early to extend Detroit’s run to 13-2. Wiseman struggled against Lopez’s length in the first half, and missed six of his first eight shots. But he got comfortable in the second half, making 3 of 4 from the field, including two hooks over Lopez.
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @omarisankofa.
Next up: Thunder
Matchup: Pistons (16-59) at Oklahoma City (37-38).
Tipoff: 8 p.m. Wednesday; Paycom Center, Oklahoma City.
TV/radio: Bally Sports Detroit; WXYT-FM (97.1).