Pistons’ rally fizzles, fall to Warriors 102-98
The Detroit Pistons (14-11) lost a 102-98 heartbreaker to the Golden State Warriors (21-6) on Friday night. Kevin Durant led all scorers with 36 points on 12-of-23 shooting. The small forward also added 10 rebounds, seven assists and five blocks. Detroit has now dropped their last five games.
It was an all-too-familiar finish for the Detroit Pistons, who came up short against the Golden State Warriors 102-98 Friday night at Little Caesars Arena.
After trailing by as many 12 points early in the fourth quarter, the Pistons’ bench scrapped their way back into the game.
Detroit pulled to within two after an Avery Bradley triple with 22.7 remaining. They intentionally fouled Warriors’ guard Shaun Livingston on the next possession. Livingston, a career 79 percent free throw shooter, missed both attempts at the line.
Tobias Harris snagged the rebound. He dumped it off to Reggie Jackson, who brought the ball across half court. Jackson then drove inside the left lane and missed a heavily contested layup. Klay Thompson secured the basketball, and the Pistons were forced to foul him with 5.3 seconds left.
Ball game.
Detroit could’ve used their final timeout after Livingston’s second miss. But Stan Van Gundy elected not to.
Still, in a matchup that featured 11 lead changes, the Pistons held their own. But it still wasn’t enough to shake the Warriors. With Steph Curry out due to an ankle injury, Golden State looked towards their 2017 Finals MVP to deliver.
Kevin Durant answered the call.
The 29-year-old dominated the Pistons on both ends of the floor. He dropped 36 points on 52 percent shooting, toying with Detroit’s defense inside and out.
Anthony Tolliver did all he could to stay in front of Durant. But he was no match, as Durant bested him with a number of crossovers. He also blocked a key three-point attempt from Tolliver with 1:31 to go. It was one of Durant’s five blocks on the night. As a team, the Warriors swatted 15 Pistons’ shots.
Bradley led the way for Detroit, scoring 25 points on 9 for 17 shooting. He was one of five Pistons who finished in double figures.
Andre Drummond grabbed a game-high 17 rebounds. But his offensive game was non-existent. The center shot 2 for 9 from the floor, and 4 for 10 at the free throw line.
Detroit has now lost five games in a row. It doesn’t get any easier from here, especially with the Boston Celtics in town this Sunday afternoon. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. on Fox Sports Detroit.