DETROIT — In the past two months, the Pistons have played some of their most solid basketball games of the season. Even in losses, the final margins of the games have been close.
Not this time.
The defending-champion Milwaukee Bucks, still looking to hold on to a high playoff seed, jumped out to a hot start, and the Pistons got off to an uncharacteristically slow start in the first quarter. They never recovered, and after falling into a 22-point first-quarter deficit, they couldn’t climb out.
The Bucks cruised in the second half to a 131-101 victory on Friday night in the home finale at Little Caesars Arena. The Pistons wrap up the season on Sunday at Philadelphia.
Rodney McGruder had a career-high 26 points, Cade Cunningham 14 points, six rebounds and six assists and Saddiq Bey 18 points for the Pistons (23-58), who had their biggest defeat since a 141-119 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on March 11.
The Pistons started 1 of 16 from the field in the first quarter, and they had just one field goal — a Killian Hayes baseline dunk — for a stretch of 8:36, until Cunningham scored on a drive with 1:50 remaining. In between, they managed just two free throws from Isaiah Stewart (five points, 12 rebounds and four assists).
The Bucks (51-30) started the onslaught, with a 23-4 run before Cunningham’s basket, with a pair of 3-pointers from Khris Middleton (15 points) and a pair of drives from Jrue Holiday (10 points and nine assists).
The Pistons closed to within 30-8 at the end of the first quarter, when the offense finally woke up. McGruder got going, with 14 points in the first five minutes, including three 3-pointers and a three-point play.
