Yet again, the Detroit Pistons lose. Tonight, Charlotte beat them 101-102. Detroit started off slow, down 11, but ended the first quarter on an 18-6 run. They looked like they were going to pull away in the second quarter, but were only up 5 at the end of the first half. Everyone seemed to be hitting their shots. The Pistons looked decent, more similar to the playoff team fans had been expecting at the dawn of the 2019-2020 season. Their lead did not continue into the second half, and the Pistons ended up blowing the game in the closing seconds of the contest. With the way the Pistons have played as of late, it may, finally, be time to blow it up.
At the beggining of the third quarter, the team was in a good rhythm. Later in the third, however, you could sense the lead slipping away. Just like the last time the Pistons played the Hornets, they left the door wide open for a Hornets comeback. Towards the end of the third, the Hornets tied it up and had all the momentum going into the fourth quarter. Turnovers proved to be costly, a common theme with this year’s team.
In the fourth quarter, the Hornets extended their lead, but the Pistons wouldn’t go away, and kept clawing back into the game. Charlotte was close to closing the door when they went up 97-91, but after one Hornets’ three pointer was taken away after review, the Pistons had opportunity.The Pistons were down 98-102, with 58.2 seconds left, and Blake hit a 3 to bring them within one. Detroit got a stop and had the ball with around 22 seconds left. They called time, and out of the timeout Rose had an open lane, but Batum wisely fouled with the Hornets’ one foul to give. With 7.9 seconds to play, Rose searched for an open teammate, killing the clock, and threw the ball away at the last second.
Turnovers proved to be costly yet again. The Pistons only had 8 turnovers, but were at critical points in the game. Drummond had 4 of those turnovers. The fact that the Pistons didn’t have the ball with their best player, Blake Griffin, on the last play of the game is absurd to many fans. To add on, the referees made several questionable calls, for both teams.
Tip Ins: Thon Maker didn’t play one minute, as many fans have been clamoring for 23 year old Christian Wood. Tony Snell, in his first game back from injury, was scoreless and went 0 for 2 from the field, in 19 minutes, but was +6. Reggie Jackson is close to returning from a back injury, and is expected to return in early December. The Grand Rapids Drive, the Pistons’ G League affiliate, continue to win, with 15th Sekou Doumbouya pouring in 18 points and Jordan Bone, the 57th pick, who many people think is a steal, had 14 points, giving fans hope for a bright future.
Up Next:
The Pistons host the Hornets Friday night
The Hornets travel to Detroit Friday night
Piston Territory 