Dates and games that will live in infamy for the Detroit Pistons
Game #14: We enter into a period of regular annihilation
Sunday, November 19th, the Pistons entered their game with the Toronto Raptors mired in a disturbing 11-game losing streak. Their record for the season was an abysmal 2-12. The excitement of their 2-1 start had been completely eradicated. Detroit had not yet, however, accomplished the dubious feat of allowing 140 points in a game. They succeeded in scratching that accomplishment off their bucket list that night in Scotiabank Arena.
In fairness, one must mention that Duren caught a DNP that night because of his bum ankle. Yet in that same spirit of fairness please take note of the fact that Monty was unable to drown Hayes in undeserved minutes as he missed the game with a bum shoulder.
The final score was Raptors 142-Pistons 113 in a startling route that dwarfed any that came before it. Eleven different Raptors managed to get into the game and score at least a bucket for themselves.
On the bright side, Ausar Thompson, then a fixture in the starting lineup, pulled down 10 boards, the fifth time he racked up double-digit rebounds in six games. Just two games prior the rookie scored 21 points, and had 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks in a performance that almost made many of us forget about the team’s overall slump.
Game #15: A chance to regain a sliver of respect against the defending champs
On the heels of that blowout loss in Toronto, the Pistons came home to Detroit where they were confronted by the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets – a daunting task to be sure. However, it was also a desperately needed opportunity to turn things around. What better way to chart a new course than to defeat the reigning champions?
The Pistons put up a fight, but they still lost. Even in losing, their were some of those proverbial moral victories to be found. Cade got to the free throw line 11 times and nailed all 11 attempts. Beef Stew had a double-double. And best of all, Ivey started, relegating Killian to the bench, from which he played 14 minutes and scored 0 points.
Things almost kinda made sense, and that was a start. It was cause for hope.