Saddiq Bey of the Detroit Pistons put on a show last night when no one was looking.
Pistons vs. Magic was the only NBA game on the schedule last night, it was St. Patrick’s Day, and there was a full slate of NCAA Tournament games to compete with, so not that many fans saw what Saddiq Bey did, which was have the game of his career and one of the best individual performances in team history.
Bey dropped 51 points and added 10 rebounds on a shorthanded night and Detroit won a shootout in Orlando134-120, outlasting the Magic on a night without much defense.
The loss dropped Orlando into a tie with Houston for the worst record in the league and put the Detroit Pistons 1.5 games ahead with the third-worst record.
It was a night to remember for Saddiq Bey, who became the 8th player this month to score 50+ points, a record for the NBA.
Pistons vs. Magic: Saddiq Bey by the numbers
It was clear from the beginning that Saddiq Bey was feeling it.
After the Pistons went behind 9-0 to start the game, Bey went to work, hitting a three-point shot to get Detroit on the board, something that would be a theme for the night.
Bey went on to hit 10-of-14 from behind the 3-point line, tying Joe Dumars for the most made 3’s in a game in Pistons’ history.
He scored 51 points on just 27 shots, working the Magic, who had just let up 60 to Kyrie Irving the game before, from all three levels.
Bey was impressive going to the hoop and finishing through traffic in addition to his 3-point display.
You don’t see many efficient 50 point games, but that is exactly what Saddiq Bey did last night. He put the Pistons on his back and will hopefully start to get some attention as one of the best young players in the league.
Pistons’ injury woes continue
The Pistons entered the game without Cade Cunningham, Jerami Grant, Hamidou Diallo and Frank Jackson, so were already shorthanded.
Then Kelly Olynyk “KO’d” Killian Hayes with an accidental elbow late in the first quarter that looked like it nearly knocked him out.
Hayes was dazed, had a contusion on his head and had to leave the game with what is being called a concussion.
This is obviously bad news in general, as Hayes has battled myriad injuries this season, but he was also playing well last night, racking up five assists in the first quarter and doing a good job running the offense.
Saben Lee had 12 points, seven assists and three steals in his absence, and may find himself in the starting lineup if the Pistons don’t get some guys back soon.
Killian Hayes can’t seem to catch a break this season, as every time he starts to play well, something happens that keeps him out of the game.
Let’s hope his injury is minor and he can return to finish the season strong.
Center by committee for the Detroit Pistons
Earlier this week, I wrote about whether the Pistons would go for a big name center this offseason or roll into next season using a center by committee approach.
Injuries forced the latter last night, as both Isaiah Stewart and Marvin Bagley III played over 30 minutes and Kelly Olynyk added 19 minutes off the bench.
Stewart and Bagley III played most of their minutes together, something we haven’t seen much this season, and the results were encouraging.
The two combined for 36 points, 21 rebounds and three steals for the Pistons, played off each other all night and seemingly had no problems sharing the lane.
Beef Stew was running the floor hard and got most of his buckets off early post ups or put backs, but also had a couple of nice moves in the paint, one of which resulted in a thunderous dunk.
Bagley III was pushed a little further from the hoop than normal, but was still able to get to his spots, hit a couple of 3-pointers and get after it on the offensive glass.
It looks as though the Pistons’ gamble on Bagley III is paying off, as he has given the bench a boost, played well with the starters and shown that he can fit into a variety of lineups.
His play has given Detroit the option to stick with the bigs they have, maybe add a low-cost guy in free agency or the Draft and use several bigs with varying skills next season instead of going after a high-priced guy.