The Detroit Pistons lose to the Chicago Bulls 107-105
By Ash Vanclay
The Detroit Pistons travelled to Chicago to take on the Bulls in a matchup of old rivals. The Detroit Pistons ended up blowing a game tying lay-up right at the buzzer to lose 107-105. The Detroit Pistons got a steal with around 5 seconds left and down 2, Tobias Harris dished it to Reggie Bullock who couldn’t finish at the rim, and the Bulls secured the rebound for the win.
Here’s the final sequence for anyone that missed it:
The Chicago Bulls came out of the gates hot and couldn’t seem to miss anything, helped by some poor defence from the Detroit Pistons. They slowed down in patches and let the Pistons back into the game but they finished the game shooting 47.2 percent from the three-point line and 48.3 percent from the field. The Detroit Pistons just couldn’t keep up only managing 44.6 percent from the field, and 41.4 percent from the three-point line.
The Detroit Pistons were within striking distance the whole game, ending up down 5 at the first break. Then they ended up going on a little run towards the end of the second half and ending up ahead by 1. Through the third and into the fourth quarter they went on a 14-3 scoring run and it looked like the Pistons would run away with it, but they could never put them away, as the Bulls got themselves back into the game, which led to a nerve-wracking back and forth finish.
Player Grades:
B. Ish Smith finished with 12 points, 6 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. He ran the point well and didn’t turn the ball over once!. PG. Detroit Pistons. ISH SMITH
B+. Avery Bradley started the game off hot, shooting 5 of 6 from three, however he cooled off and ended the game 6 of 10. He finished with 26 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 block and 4 turnovers. He got the crucial steal at the end of the game and played good defence throughout the game, however the 4 turnovers were a problem.. SG. Detroit Pistons. AVERY BRADLEY
C. Reggie Bullock’s hot streak appears to be over. He played 35 minutes and managed 7 points (3 of 9 shooting), 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 turnovers. Throughout the game he missed some easy lay-ups that any professional should make. Some would argue that he should’ve passed the ball back on the final play, but he did get a good look at the rim.. SF. Detroit Pistons. REGGIE BULLOCK
C. Tobias just couldn’t get his shot to drop tonight. He played hard but finished with 7 points (3-14 from the field), 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 1 block.. PF. Detroit Pistons. TOBIAS HARRIS
A. Andre Drummond finished with 21 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks. He did about as much as any player could to try and get his team the win, but to no avail. He even went 5 of 6 from the free throw line!. C. Detroit Pistons. ANDRE DRUMMOND
Detroit Pistons. DWIGHT BUYCKS. B. Dwight Buycks played 21 minutes and finished with 10 points (4 of 12 shooting), 3 rebounds, and 3 assists. He also finished with a team high +6 net rating. He competed hard defensively and ran the point effectively, just struggle with his shot slightly.. SF
Luke Kennard got more than his usual minutes, finishing with 22. In those minutes he managed 9 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. He looked really poised and confident offensively making some important buckets. He competed hard defensively and helped initiate the offense.. SF. Detroit Pistons. LUKE KENNARD. B+
B. A professional performance as expected from Anthony Tolliver. He finished with 10 points (3 of 5 shooting) and 4 rebounds in his 18 minutes. He made shots when we needed them and competed hard as always.. PF. Detroit Pistons. ANTHONY TOLLIVER
C. Detroit Pistons. ERIC MORELAND. B-. Eric Moreland only managed 14 minutes due to foul trouble (picked up a team high 4 fouls in those minutes) but managed 2 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. He competed hard for the loose ball and forced some turnovers purely out of hustle and energy.
C+. Stan Van Gundy coached a decent game today. It seemed like the players just didn’t quite have that extra 1 percent locked in (with a few exceptions), and they seemed a bit lethargic. I personally questioned the lack of fouling on the final play of the game, but he trusted Avery Bradley and he rewarded that trust by getting the steal, so I won’t criticise that play. Stan was probably a little slow to make changes but the team was in the game the entire time, so it wasn’t critical.. Head Coach. Detroit Pistons. STAN VAN GUNDY
The Detroit Pistons next head home to Little Caesar’s Arena take on the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night.