Pistons news: Tip-ins, fast breaks and what was Omoruyi thinking?

The Detroit Pistons lost their 7th game in a row last night, this one a heartbreaker to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Pistons hope to be next year’s Thunder, the team that crawls out of the cellar into contention for the play-in tournament.

But last night they went toe-to-toe and for about 20 seconds it looked like they were going to secure the victory after Cory Joseph hit a huge 3-point shot to put the Pistons up one with 13.5 seconds to go.

Then, in familiar fashion, the game fell apart once again.

It looked like the Thunder took the lead once when Luguentz Dort was able to rip a rebound away from Eugene Omoruyi and Isaiah Livers and put it back in, but the play was called a jump ball. The Pistons lost the jump ball with just over seven seconds left. Josh GIddey corralled it and got off a shot that he missed, only to have rookie Jalen Williams catch it and put it back in at the buzzer.

This was the third time since the All-Star break that Detroit has lost on a last-second offensive rebound. It’s odd that Detroit played with two bigs for much of the game, but when they needed as stop, blocked shot or a rebound, the lineup was Cory Joseph, RJ Hampton, Eugene Omoruyi, Isaiah Livers and James Wiseman, who once again left his man to challenge a shot only for the other team to get the offensive board.

But that one play didn’t lose the game, as Detroit let OKC run all over them. After the game, things got even weirder.

Detroit Pistons vs. OKC Thunder: What was up with Eugene Omoruyi?

If you just looked at the base stats for the game, you’d think the Detroit Pistons would have won, as they out-shot and out-rebounded the Thunder.

But the Pistons also turned the ball over 18 times, which led to 20 fast break points for the Thunder. Detroit had two points on fast breaks.

The Thunder also shot 11 more free throws and hit nine more than Detroit, so that coupled with the fast break points was how they made up for Detroit shooting 50 percent overall and 48.5 from the 3-point line.

After the game there was a strange scene. I’m an old school fan, but I accept that unlike the past, players are now friends and not mortal enemies on and off the court. Eugene Omoruyi was playing  against his old team, and you’d except there to be some hugs and congrats exchanged after he recently signed a contract to stay in Detroit.

But this? After your new team just lost on a last-second play? Come on now.

I get that they are friends, but this was more like a photo at the end of a basketball camp or AAU game. Maybe I’m just an old head, but his wasn’t a great look, especially when Omoruyi was on the court and a key part of the two plays that ended up losing a game that was the team’s 18th loss in their last 19 contests.

I know this game was ultimately meaningless, so I am not going to hold it against the guy, but it did make me nostalgic for the days when players took losses personally and weren’t besties with the other team.

Old man rant disengaged.

The Pistons will travel to Houston on Friday to take on the Rockets in their best chance to win another game this season.