Detroit Pistons' hot start cools off in 124-117 loss to Minnesota Timberwolves at LCA
The Detroit Pistons picked up a rare win Monday, defeating a Washington Wizards team next to them in the standings for their fourth win of the season.
They couldn't repeat against the best team in the Western Conference.
The Pistons started hot but couldn't sustain a rhythm on either end en route to a 124-117 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday at Little Caesars Arena. A late 18-4 run allowed the Wolves to turn a slim three-point lead late in the third quarter into a 17-point advantage, 109-92, with just over 10 minutes to play.
Anthony Edwards (27 points, eight assists five rebounds), Karl-Anthony Towns (27 points, six rebounds, four assists) and Rudy Gobert (19 points, 16 rebounds) all had standout games for the opposing team.
The Pistons were led by Jaden Ivey, who scored a season-high 32 points and punished the Wolves repeatedly with his ability to get downhill. He also knocked down four of his six 3-point attempts Bojan Bogdanovic returned from a two-game absence with left calf soreness and finished with 20 points.
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It was a fast-paced, back-and-forth first quarter with both teams combining for 79 points. And the Pistons were on top by the end of it, leading the Wolves 40-39. Detroit was hot early, shooting 16-for-24 with 13 assists and just a single turnover in the period against the NBA’s best defense.
But Minnesota took control to close the half, outscoring the Pistons 31-22 and holding them to 38.5% overall shooting in the second. The Wolves led by as many as 12 before a 19-10 Pistons run allowed them to get within three points, 91-88, with just over three minutes to play in the third.
Detroit’s turnover issues appeared in the second half, as they committed six in the third quarter. Marcus Sasser was responsible for two in the final minute of the period to help the Wolves push their lead back to eight at the end of it, 98-90.
That momentum continued into the fourth, as back-to-back 3-pointers by Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Naz Reid opened a 17-point lead that the Pistons were unable to rally from. They tried, however, responding with a 17-6 run to cut it to six, 115-109. Ivey capped the run with a 3-pointer.
Minnesota got the response it needed on the other end, as McDaniels and Towns hit back-to-back 3's to push the lead back to 14 to end Detroit's comeback hopes.
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Muscala, Gallinari officially join team after trade
Monty Williams acknowledged during his pregame media session that Wednesday’s game presented an ideal situation for one, or both, of the new players to make their debuts. Both Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala, who the Pistons traded Marvin Bagley III, Isaiah Livers and two future 2nd round picks for on Sunday, were present during Detroit’s shootaround and were active for the game.
They only had limited practice time — the team had to cancel its session scheduled for Tuesday as weather-related flight issues prevented the team from departing Washington D.C. immediately after Monday’s 129-117 road win. The Pistons stayed the night and made it back to Detroit Tuesday afternoon.
“I’ve been talking to the coaches on how to use them properly,” Williams said. “If we can use them both, we will. Tonight’s one of those nights where we’re playing against such a big team, we could see them on the floor. We’ve only had one shootaround to get them acclimated because of the travel situation coming back here. We’ll see how it goes. They both have the ability to play the stretch five, but against bigger teams.”
Both veterans stand 6-foot-10, giving Detroit additional size against a Wolves starting five with three players standing at least 6-foot-9. Gallinari ended up not making his debut, but Muscala checked in for the first time with three minutes to play in the first quarter. He logged five minutes in the first half, and checked in again midway through the third to spell Jalen Duren.
Muscala is known for stretching the floor, but his defensive presence was felt. He tallied two blocks and helped the Pistons wall off Gobert and Towns as they mounted a run in the third quarter to cut their deficit to single digits. The big man played 15 minutes and missed all four of his shot attempts, including three 3-pointers.
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' hot start cools off in loss to Minnesota Timberwolves
