INDIANAPOLIS — With two games remaining in a dreadful season full of losses, the Pistons desperately needed to understand what a victory felt like again.
The circumstances weren't ideal as the Pistons were without forwards Isaiah Livers and Eugene Omoruyi, which left them with nine available players against the Indiana Pacers.
It appeared as if Detroit was headed for its 12th consecutive loss when the team fell into an early 11-point hole until the Pistons went on a vicious run towards the end of the first quarter. The starting backcourt of Jaden Ivey and Killian Hayes was largely responsible for the scoring burst, and for maintaining it throughout the game.
Ivey and Hayes combined for 57 points and 15 assists to lead the Pistons to a 122-115 win over the Pacers on Friday night. The win snapped an 11-game losing streak, which tied their longest skid of the season, and marked their first win since beating the Pacers in Detroit on March 13.
The victory improved Detroit to 17-64, which means they'll avoid tying the 1979-80 team's 16-66 record, which remains as the worst in franchise history.
The Pistons aren't used to playing with double-digit leads, especially in the second half, so there was an adjustment in the third quarter after entering new territory.
After leading by as many as 21 points, the Pacers pulled within six with five minutes left in the game. The comeback effort prompted the Pacers to raise a "Beat the Pistons" banner to the rafters. The Pistons crushed those aspirations with an 8-3 run to effectively close the game.
Ivey led the Pistons with 29 points, four rebounds and nine assists while playing in front of his home-state fans. Hayes had his best scoring game with a career-high 28 points, four rebounds, six assists and four steals. Cory Joseph battled foul trouble for the majority of the game, but he was the best shooter on the Pistons as he connected on 4 of 9 from beyond the arc. He totaled 18 points and four assists off the bench.
The Pacers had six players reach double scoring figures, led by Buddy Hield, who led with 22 points and six rebounds off the bench. Detroit native Isaiah Jackson made his presence felt on the defensive end with fierce rejections. He finished with 13 points, six rebounds and three blocks.
The Pistons will look to secure a back-to-back win for just the second time this year with their season finale against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday.
Here are a few more observations from Friday's win:
Wiseman's early exit
The Pistons entered Friday's game with just nine players available, but that number was down to eight less than two minutes into the game when James Wiseman was inadvertently elbowed by his teammate, Jalen Duren. The 7-foot center remained down on the court after the friendly fire incident, forcing Pistons coach Dwane Casey to call a timeout. Wiseman was escorted to the locker room and he was ruled questionable to return midway through the second quarter. He returned in the third quarter and played more minutes when Duren picked up his fourth foul. He finished with three points and three rebounds.
4-guard lineup propels comeback
With Wiseman sidelined, Casey was forced to stagger Duren and Bagley in different lineups so both bigs played along four guards for the remainder of the game. The smaller lineup allowed the Pistons to play faster and get out in transition more than usual. They finished with 21 fast break points as a result. The unit put together a 29-10 run to end the first quarter, allowing Detroit to take a 35-27 lead into the second quarter. The lineup, which rotated Hayes, Ivey, RJ Hampton, Cory Joseph, Jared Rhoden and Buddy Boeheim, was used out of necessity but it was creative enough to provide Detroit with more 3-point shooting around the perimeter.
Ivey shows out at home
Ivey, who was playing in his home state of Indiana, was bouncier and more animated than usual. He scored 19 of his 29 points in the first half. Ivey knocked down a mid-range shot over Pacers guard Gabe York and immediately flexed with the "two little" sign. He found himself on a fast break in the first half and threw down a one-handed windmill. Ivey's offensive skill set has developed since the start of the season and he was able to connect on his mid-range shot more often than not in the second half. Ivey already appears motivated enough, but he played with a little more spunk at home in Indiana.
