Detroit — On Saturday, the Detroit Lions had the city in the palm of their hands. Nearly everyone at Little Caesars Arena wore Honolulu blue in preparation for the Lions’ divisional playoff contest against the Washington Commanders. Even All-Star guard Devin Booker had his mind on the Lions’ postseason run, confirming to The Detroit News that he planned to attend the game at Ford Field for the 8 p.m. kickoff.
Coach J.B. Bickerstaff wasn’t oblivious to the excitement surrounding the Pistons as the opening act for the highly anticipated game, but his message was simple.
“We need to do our job; we understand the juice, the vibe, and the feeling in the city,” Bickerstaff said. “I think our guys are really connected to the city and the fan base, and they understand how energetic the day is with what the Lions are facing and the opportunity they have in front of them. …
“For us, it’s about understanding that we have a responsibility to each other and the job that’s in front of us. We have to take care of the Suns by being sound in who we are.”
The Pistons took Bickerstaff’s message to heart but ultimately lost 125-121. This was their first loss in back-to-back games since early December.
Kevin Durant, who scored a season-high 43 points against the Pistons on Dec. 21, began the day shooting 1-of-9 in the first half. However, the former league MVP winner began to find his stride in the third quarter, when he scored 21 points.
Durant’s third-quarter performance halted the momentum the Pistons began to establish. Jalen Duren’s dunk at the 5:22 mark gave Detroit its largest lead of the game, 82-75. However, the Suns outscored Detroit 23-13 to close the period.
▶ BOX SCORE: Suns 125, Pistons 121
Duren (15 points and 10 rebounds) nailed a pair of free throws to give the Pistons a 111-110 lead with 5:30 left. On Phoenix’s next possession, Durant helped the Suns regain the lead with a mid-range fadeaway.
With a minute left, the Pistons trailed 119-117 when Durant put the game out of reach with another mid-range basket. He finished with a game-high 36 points, with 30 coming in the second half.
“At the end of the day, he’s Kevin Durant,” Bickerstaff said. “It’s a matter of him being able to get to his shot and finding those shots. He’s seven feet tall with a high release. It’s difficult to defend when he gets rolling, but I thought our guys challenged and didn’t give him anything easy. But again, he just made more shots.”
Cade Cunningham recorded his 18th double-double of the season with 20 points, 11 assists, and six rebounds. Detroit fell to 21-21.
Tobias Harris set an early tone for the Pistons by scoring 13 of his 21 points in the first quarter and matching Booker’s output. The Michigan native erupted for 23 first-half points, leading to the Pistons trailing 61-60 at halftime.
Booker scored 35 points, shooting 11-of-22 from the floor and 12-of-13 from the foul line. Nick Richards added 21 points and 11 rebounds.
“I think we played a good game for the most part,” Cunningham said. “I think just some of the small things, some of the offensive rebounds, just the little things that make the difference between winning and losing, we didn’t get those things done tonight. Those things are supposed to be our identity. We kind of dropped the ball on that, but we will move on.”
Observations and notes vs. Suns
▶ Marcus Sasser shines off the bench: Marcus Sasser had arguably his most impactful performance of the season. In 17 minutes, Sasser scored 11 points while adding four rebounds.
▶ Cade Cunningham’s defense: Bickerstaff has continuously raved about Cunningham’s All-NBA-worthy season. However, his play on the defensive side of the ball has been one of the main reasons Bickerstaff believes Cunningham’s name should be among the league’s most elite. Cunningham had an impressive defensive performance during the first half.
As the primary defender of Durant, Cunningham was vital in the future Hall-of-Famer’s struggles. During the first half, Durant began the day shooting 1-of-9 from the field and 0-of-5 from deep. He also accounted for one of Durant’s careless turnovers. However, his best defensive performance came with 8:23 left in the second quarter when Cunningham blocked a dunk attempt from Suns big man Oso Ighodaro.
▶ Foul trouble for the Pistons: Bickerstaff called on Paul Reed early because Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart were in foul trouble. Each player recorded three personal fouls in the first half. Duren was able to bounce back after getting in foul trouble, but it appeared that Stewart never recovered by playing less aggressively in the second half.
Up next
The Pistons will play the Houston Rockets on Monday in an MLK Day showdown. This is the first game of a five-game road trip that also includes the Atlanta Hawks (Wednesday), Orlando Magic (Saturday), Cleveland Cavaliers (Jan. 27), and Indiana Pacers (Jan. 29). Tip-off between the Pistons and Rockets is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Toyota Center.
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