Stringing together consecutive wins has been a struggle for the Pistons.
They’ve only been able to accomplish that feat once this season when Detroit came away with a pair of back-to-back wins in November over the Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz.
Fresh off their blowout victory over the Indiana Pacers to snap an 11-game losing streak, the Pistons traveled to the nation’s capital to face the Washington Wizards.
The Wizards, who defeated the Pistons one week ago after Daniel Gafford tipped in a buzzer-beating layup, began the game making eight of its first nine shots and never looked back.
A shorthanded Pistons team trailed by as many as 25 points, but went on a fierce 14-0 run between the end of the third quarter and start of the fourth to bring the game within 11 points. However, Bradley Beal, who led the Wizards with 28 points and seven assists, drained a fadeaway midrange shot as he was fouled. The momentum-shifting play sparked a 10-4 run for Washington, which maintained control of the game for the rest of the way.
The Pistons (16-54) were defeated 117-97 in a loss to the Wizards on Tuesday night.
Beal, who’s fighting to lead the 11th-seeded Washington into the Eastern Conference Play-In tournament, displayed the full array of his offensive talents. He drained 4-of-6 from the 3-point line. He made all six of his free throws. He made several mid-range shots, including the dagger that stopped Detroit’s fourth quarter run.
Wizards forward Kristaps Porzingis did most of his damage early in the game when the Pistons’ bigs struggled to stay on the floor. He added 18 points, seven rebounds and four blocks.
Pistons guard Killian Hayes led Detroit with 20 points and seven assists. He finished with a 10-of-21 shooting clip, which included several floaters off the glass. Rodney McGruder added 16 points and six rebounds. James Wiseman tallied his fourth double-double since he was acquired by Detroit with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Here are a few more observations from Tuesday’s loss:
New starting lineup, again: With Isaiah Livers unavailable for Tuesday’s game due to a sore right hip, the Pistons trotted out their 30th different starting lineup of the season. Killian Hayes, RJ Hampton, Rodney McGruder, Eugene Omoruyi and James Wiseman. Pistons coach Dwane Casey said his lineups would be fluid for the remainder of the season, and he's proved to be right as the team battles through another late-season injury bug.
Joseph plays through illness: One day after scoring a season-high 22 points to lead Detroit past Indiana, veteran guard Cory Joseph was listed as questionable for Tuesday’s game against the Wizards due to a non-Covid illness. However, he was available to play and he played well despite being sick. He was a guiding force of Detroit’s first-half comeback, bringing the team within nine points after trailing by as many as 22. Joseph also recorded a block, his first since March 4 at Cleveland, and his eighth of the season. He finished with 12 points, four rebounds and five assists. Joseph has been a constant for the Pistons as of late and he’ll likely be a main contributor as long as he’s in the lineup during the final stretch of the season.
Injury scare for Omoruyi: With nine available players, the Pistons couldn’t afford any more injuries. However, Detroit’s bench got shorter at the 6:11 mark of the first quarter when Omoruyi stepped on Porzingis’ left foot and immediately collapsed to the floor, clutching his left ankle. He limped to the locker room and spent the rest of the quarter working with the Pistons’ trainers until he returned to the bench midway in the second quarter. He checked back into the game with 2:33 left in the second quarter to provide the Pistons some relief while Jalen Duren was sidelined with foul trouble. Immediately upon his return, he tested the ankle out by driving inside before finishing with a layup. He totaled eight points and four rebounds. If we’ve learned anything about Omoruyi during his time with the Pistons is that he’s defined by his toughness, energy and effort. That bodes well for a team like Detroit, which is looking to reclaim its defensive identity.
Duren’s rough start: Duren checked into the game at the 5:51 mark of the first quarter to give Wiseman a breather and was whistled for three fouls in roughly two minutes. It caused Pistons coach Dwane Casey to bring Wiseman back into the game and Detroit played a four-guard lineup without Duren and Omoruyi. The lineup wasn’t ideal to matchup with Porzingis, who looked to take advantage of his 7-foot-3 frame every time down the floor. Duren has played well in his three games off the bench, but his foul trouble limited him in the first half on Tuesday. However, he rebounded from that slow start in the second half and finished with nine points, eight rebounds and a block.
