Detroit Pistons run out of gas in loss to Wizards
142. Final. 95. 64. 97
Bradley Beal made his return to the Wizards lineup against the Pistons on Saturday night, but he wasn’t the one who hurt Detroit. He’s their leading scorer, but the inside presence of Marcin Gortat and Nene Hilario were the real challenges that the Pistons faced.
However, the Pistons stifled the duo for the most part in the second half and continued their ways of being a stellar second half team. They let the Wizards go on a huge run in the latter half of the third quarter, ushering in an exciting final frame. The Pistons starters, who have been taking on a plethora of minutes this season, looked tired in the waning minutes of the game. The Pistons took it down to the wire but Morris’ buzzer beater for the win fell well short.
PG. Pistons. REGGIE JACKSON. A-. Jackson continues to take more ownership of the offense in leading a team where the point guard position is especially important. He took the majority of the team’s shots throughout the contest and shot well from the floor. Jackson recovered from a somewhat shaky start and made crucial plays by dishing out the ball to ensure the Pistons wouldn’t fall too far behind. He was the Pistons player of the game and clearly outplayed his counterpart, John Wall.
SG. Pistons. KENTAVIOUS CALDWELL-POPE. A. KCP again had an excellent shooting night and started out 3-for-3 from behind the arc, knocking down two 3’s in the third quarter to boost a Pistons run. He knocked down another midway through the fourth to give the Pistons back the lead. His clutch shooting was integral to keep the Pistons in the game.
Pistons. STANLEY JOHNSON. C-. Stanley had a relatively quiet game and didn’t play much of a factor into the outcome. He missed two threes at the end of the third quarter that just rimmed out both times. If he had knocked those down, the Wizards’ run at the end of the third quarter wouldn’t have been so substantial. He had problems shooting the three and taking care of the ball, but remember, he’s still a rookie in his first full month of the season.. SF
A. Morris started off the game on fire, shooting a perfect 4-for-4 in the first quarter, including two 3-pointers. He wasn’t as hot in the second half, but had an impressive game overall. His tenacity on the boards is also something that the Pistons will need and will strive for.. SF. Pistons. MARCUS MORRIS
B. Drummond kept doing what he does best, pull down boards and flushing down emphatic dunks to swing momentum and to get the team more hyped up. His defense was also impactful as he altered shots more often in the second half to protect the paint that was left too wide open in the first two quarters. He was in foul trouble all game, which greatly influenced his playing time. His double-double streak was in jeopardy and he couldn’t pick up the final basket to keep the streak alive.. C. Pistons. ANDRE DRUMMOND
B-. Dinwiddie has started to earn more backup point guard minutes over Steve Blake, and now is his time to lock down that spot. While Blake has been disappointing so far this season, Dinwiddie looks like the most promising of the two. He had an impressive drive to flush a one-handed slam in the first quarter, showing his speed that Blake lacks. His shooting will definitely need to improve in the meantime, though.. PG. Pistons. SPENCER DINWIDDIE
Baynes couldn’t stop Nene Hilario, who torched the Pistons in the first half, finishing a perfect 7-for-7 with 14 points. He’s not looking like the backup center that the Pistons hoped he would be or need, and started to have an off defensive game on Saturday. Just like the rest of the team, he picked up his game in the second half.. C. Pistons. ARON BAYNES. B
Ilyasova isn’t lighting up the stat sheet, but he did play an efficient game. He’s finding his niche in the offense and had one of his best shooting nights of the season. He finished with 16 points.. PF. Pistons. ERSAN ILYASOVA. B+
Van Gundy had trouble stopping the Wizards’ centers in the first half, but was able to hold them in the next two quarters. The Pistons are definitely a second half team, ranking sixth in the league in point differential in the second half. Van Gundy has done a great job in executing the game plan from halftime to keep the Pistons competitive in any game, even when they’re behind.. Head Coach. Pistons. STAN VAN GUNDY. B+