Detroit Pistons fall short to Brooklyn Nets, lose 98-96 on Brook Lopez buzzer beater
The Detroit Pistons (34-37) and their playoff hopes were dealt a heavy blow tonight, losing to the Brooklyn Nets (14-56) on a buzzer beater shot from Brook Lopez.
Detroit had rallied back from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter to tie the game with 2.6 seconds to go thanks to a Tobias Harris putback layup.
Then moments later, Lopez – who scored a game-high 29 points on 13-24 shooting tonight – took every hope Pistons fans had for the game to go to overtime and smashed them into a billion pieces:
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After scoring 31 points in the first quarter, Detroit struggled offensively for the following two frames. They recorded just 34 points in the second and third quarters combined.
The Pistons eventually rallied their way back into the game on a 13-5 run with less than five minutes to go in large part because of point guard Ish Smith, who scored 12 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter.
Then, the Lopez shot happened.
This is the Pistons’ second loss of the year to the Nets, the worst team record-wise in the NBA.
With the Miami Heat beating the Phoenix Suns 112-97 tonight, Detroit has fallen back to ninth place in the Eastern Conference.
While the loss obviously does not eliminate the Pistons from playoff contention, it does put a lot more pressure on them to win during their final 11 games.
C-. It was not a good night from Reggie Jackson in any way, shape or form. The point guard recorded just seven points on three of nine shooting in 20 minutes to go along with two assists and two rebounds. He also recorded a -12 plus/minus rating on defense. The team was more efficient offensively down the stretch when Ish Smith was on the floor in his place. Jackson was highly ineffective on both ends of the floor, a major impact on the Pistons tonight.. PG. Detroit Pistons. REGGIE JACKSON
SG. Detroit Pistons. KENTAVIOUS CALDWELL-POPE. B+. Another night, another great game from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. In 35 minutes of playing time, the six-foot-five shooting guard scored 19 points on 7-17 shooting. Three of those made shots came from three-point range. He also recorded four rebounds, three assists and a -1 plus/minus rating. While he was quiet in the fourth quarter, he helped keep the Pistons within striking distance even when they struggled offensively.
C. While Marcus Morris had a quiet night for the second straight game overall, he played a key part in the team’s comeback attempt in the fourth quarter. Morris finished the game with 13 points, four rebounds, two assists and a team-worst -13 plus/minus rating on defense. Five of those points came during the late-game run. Morris also had a role in the defensive breakdown in the final seconds when Lopez made the game-winning shot, watching as he hit the fadeaway jumper over his teammate Aron Baynes.. SF. Detroit Pistons. MARCUS MORRIS
A-. Tobias Harris had a great performance for the Pistons tonight. Harris finished the game with a team-high 24 points on 15 shots to go along with five rebounds. He was also one of the main reasons the Pistons were able to almost pull off the comeback, recording four of his points during the final four and a half minutes. He was also solid on the defensive end, finishing with a plus/minus rating of zero.. PF. Detroit Pistons. TOBIAS HARRIS
D+. Andre Drummond did not show his best stuff tonight. In 30 minutes of playing time, the big man recorded 13 points along with 17 rebounds and a block. He also struggled defensively all night long, having problems stopping Lopez for a second straight game against the Nets. Maybe that is why head coach Stan Van Gundy substituted Drummond out with 3:32 to go.. C. Detroit Pistons. ANDRE DRUMMOND
Ish Smith put the Pistons on his back down the stretch against the Nets. He finished tonight with 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists with a +10 plus/minus rating. Twelve of those points came in the fourth quarter in place of a struggling Reggie Jackson. If it was not for Smith, this game would have been nowhere near this close at the end.. PG. Detroit Pistons. ISH SMITH. A