In a matchup of two teams on totally opposite paths, the Detroit Pistons came up short against the up-and-coming Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.
Jaren Jackson Jr. dropped 29 points to lead the Memphis Grizzlies (21-24) to a 125-112 win on the road against the Detroit Pistons (17-29) on Friday night.
The Pistons started a unique lineup featuring both Reggie Jackson and Derrick Rose on the floor together. Svi Mykhailiuk, Sekou Doumbouya, and Thon Maker rounded out the starting five.
Bruce Brown and Luke Kennard remained out, leaving a big hole Dwane Casey’s already thin rotation.
Andre Drummond sat out for the second consecutive game since suffering a lip laceration from a hit he took against the Washington Wizards on Jan. 20.
This game was a lot closer than the final score would let on.
The Pistons got off to a slow start — shooting 33% from the floor in the first quarter — to give the Grizzlies a 35-23 lead after one quarter.
Thon Maker got the start and looked good in the first quarter on offense.
.@ThonMaker14 making hustle plays!#PistonsNow powered by @RocketFiber pic.twitter.com/WiesKOhF7y
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) January 25, 2020
However, the Detroit bench got going in the second quarter — including a Louis King sighting — that saw Christian Wood and Langston Galloway get theirs.
Wood finished with 20 points including seven coming from the free-throw line. Galloway finished with 14 points.
The Grizzlies showed why they’re the young, exciting team of the future while the Pistons are the spiraling, injured team in limbo.
The Pistons defense had nothing for the driving quickness of Ja Morant who finished with 12 assists while torching opposing interior defenders. He’d finish with 16 points. Dillon Brooks would add 27 and Brandon Clarke came off the bench with another 15.
The Pistons couldn’t put enough of a run together in the fourth as the Grizzlies outran them and eventually won handily.
Here are three takeaways from Friday’s loss.