Cade Cunningham leads late rally but for naught in Detroit Pistons' 112-109 loss to Magic
The Detroit Pistons had a late chance to win Saturday night, despite trailing the Orlando Magic by 11 points with 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter.
A midrange jumper by Cade Cunningham, the 2021 No. 1 overall pick, with 80 seconds left brought the Pistons within two points, 109-107. Paolo Banchero, the No. 1 overall pick in 2022, then proceeded to hand the Pistons a gift, missing two would-be clinching free throws with 17 seconds remaining.
Cunningham then tied the game, getting to the rim and finishing a layup with 12.4 seconds left.
But it was not to be, as Banchero made up for his empty trip to the line by knocking down a midrange jumper through contact — Jalen Duren's arms stretched over him as he went up for the shot — with 0.8 seconds left. Banchero then finished the three-point play at the line, and Cunningham's full-court heave bounced off the rim as the horn sounded to wrap up the Pistons' 112-109 loss at Little Caesars Arena.
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Cunningham led all scorers with 26 points, seven rebounds and four assists, scoring 17 in the second half to lead an near-rally.
It was a back-and-forth game for most of the first half before the Pistons went cold and got sloppy with the ball going into halftime. They committed four of their five first-half turnovers in the final five minutes before the intermission, fueling a 21-11 Magic run to create a 65-55 deficit after two quarters.
The Pistons stormed back, opening the third with a 21-7 run to take a 76-72 lead midway through. Cunningham, who led Detroit’s surge with three 3-pointers in the first five minutes of the half, subbed out with 3:14 left in the third and returned with 6:44 left in the game.
The time on the bench didn't cool off Cunningham, who knocked down a jumper right after checking in to bring the Pistons back within six. A hook by Duren cut it to three, 106-103, with 3:20 to play, and he sliced it to one with a pair of free throws with two minutes left.
Simone Fontecchio added 17 points and five assists. Duren finished with 16 points, nine rebounds and three assists and Quentin Grimes finished with five points and four assists in his debut with the Pistons.
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Grimes makes debut
The Pistons had to wait more than two weeks after the trade deadline to get their first look at Grimes, who the organization views as a longterm fit as a shooter and defender. The 23-year-old has knocked down 37.9% of his 3-pointers through nearly three seasons while showing the capability to be a lockdown defender.
Head coach Monty Williams said before the game that Grimes would be on a minutes restriction. Even so, he planned to give the 6-foot-4 guard a healthy run to show off his game.
“We hope that his skill set complements what we do, and also let him do some things that he and I have talked about that hopefully he can do in our program as far as handling the ball a little bit more,” Williams said. “He’s a 0.5-type of player offensively. Defensively he’s got some toughness and he guards and he’s physical. We’re hopeful to use all of that to help us be successful."
Grimes was Detroit’s first entry off the bench, checking in for rookie Ausar Thompson midway through the opening period. His first two shots — both 3-pointers — didn’t fall, with the first attempt going halfway through the rim before popping out. But he showcased his off-ball chops with a timely cut-and-touch dump-off pass to James Wiseman late in the period, getting the big man a pair of free throws.
His first score as a Piston finally came early in the second, when a steal led to a fastbreak dunk to tie the game at 35. His next steal capped a 21-7 Pistons run to open the second half, as he found Fontecchio down the floor for a fastbreak dunk to extend their lead to four, 76-72.
Grimes checked in again early in the third, replacing Thompson 90 seconds into the half after the rookie picked up his fourth foul. After missing six of his first seven shots, Grimes finally knocked down his first 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter to cut Detroit’s deficit to six. He finished the night 2-for-8, including a 1-for-5 mark from 3, but was still able to make an impact as a defender and with his off-ball movement.
Fontecchio shines in home debut
The Italian forward shined in his first game at LCA, making seven of his 13 attempts from the field and three of five 3-pointers. He showed off his playmaking chops with his five assists matching a season high.
He got going early, driving and finding Duren down low for a layup and knocking down a midrange jumper within the first four minutes. His third 3-pointer tied the game at 67 midway through the third.
Fontecchio was as good as advertised and showed why he was a top target for the Pistons at the deadline.
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him @omarisankofa.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons' deadline pickups show skills in 112-109 loss to Magic
