On Monday the Toronto Raptors came to LCA to take on our Pistons. With Cade Cunningham missing his third consecutive game, Detroit would need someone to step up. That didn’t happen, and was anyone expecting it to happen?
Whatever the solution is with Cade being gone it certainly is not Killian Hayes. Hates only scored six points in 24 minutes of action.
The Pistons fell behind early and could never catch up with whatever lineup they put on the court. Jaden Ivey contributed 21 and was the high scorer for the Pistons.
Yet again the bench did not contribute enough, getting outscored 55-41. This was the difference in the game.
Raptors – 115
Pistons – 111
Thursday night the Pistons were in Los Angeles to take on the Clippers. This is a tale of the same story different night. Another night without Cade Cunningham and another night where there is no answer for his absence.
This marked the first game back for Kawhi Leonard as he continues to recover from his ACL injury. Detroit did play good defense in the first half, leading by 8 at the break.
But the Clippers were too much for the Pistons tonight as they lose their fifth game in a row. The Pistons were outshot from beyond the arc, which proved to be the difference maker with the Pistons going only 6 for 31 and the Clippers were 11 for 30. Bojan Bagdanovic led all scorers with 26.
Pistons – 91
Clippers – 96
On Thursday, the Pistons just stayed in LA after playing the Clippers to take on the Lakers.
This game was a matchup between two of the bottom teams in the NBA. The Lakers at 3-10 are pretty bad at the moment and the Pistons at 3-12 are even worse. Each team was with their starts as Case Cunningham missed his fourth straight game, and reports indicate he is out indefinitely with his shin injury. The Lakers were without LeBron James who missed his third straight game with a groin strain.
The Pistons trailed by four at the half and kept it close throughout the entire game but just continue to be missing something because they have no flash and no ability to come from behind or even to sustain a lead.
In the end, the Lakers ran away to a seven-point win led by 38 points and 16 rebounds by Anthony Davis. The Pistons leading scorer was again Bojan Bagdanovic 20 points and a surprise game from Killian Hayes who had 18 points. And for once the bench outscored the other team’s bench 51-45, but it didn’t matter.
Pistons – 121
Lakers – 128
The Pistons (3-13) are the worst team in the league and the game against the Lakers proves it. Does Coach Casey make it to the All-Star Break with his job intact? What do the Pistons do now that Cade is out indefinitely? They continue their West Coast road trip with stops next week in Sacramento, Denver, Utah, and Phoenix.
David Masters