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Randle, Holiday pick up for Davis as Pistons drop 4th straight

FAST BREAKDOWN

Three quick observations from Sunday afternoon’s 116-108 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans at Little Caesars Arena

1-2 PUNCH – Anthony Davis didn’t have to cut the Pistons’ heart out this time. Davis – averaging 30.4 points over his career against the Pistons, most of any active NBA player – settled for a quiet six points in 26 minutes after playing less than six minutes of the first half due to banging his hip into Blake Griffin. But teammates Jrue Holiday and Julius Randle more than made up for it, combining to score 65 points as the Pistons lost their fourth straight game on the heels of a five-game win streak. Holiday finished with 37 on just 22 shots, hitting 6 of 10 from the 3-point arc. Randle had 28 points, six rebounds, five assists and two blocked shots. The Pistons played a second straight game without three of their top seven scorers – Reggie Bullock, Ish Smith and Stanley Johnson. Griffin, averaging 25.2 points a game and 27.3 over the three-game losing streak entering Sunday, finished with 35 points. Andre Drummond, who’d totaled 24 rebounds in his three previous games, bounced back to grab 19 rebounds to go with 23 points.

UP AND DOWN – After missing their last 12 3-point shots in Friday’s loss to Philadelphia, the Pistons picked up right where they left off. The law of averages finally bent back around their way in the third quarter, but then failed them again in the fourth. The Pistons missed their first seven triples before Langston Galloway ended the streak, then missed their next four in a row before Blake Griffin and Bruce Brown hit consecutive triples late in the first half. Griffin ran it to four straight when he hit two more early in the third quarter, when the Pistons made 5 of 7 triples. Galloway hit a three on the first possession of the fourth quarter to pull the Pistons within four points, but they missed their last SEVEN threes of the game.The Pistons came into the game tied with Atlanta for the bottom of the NBA in 3-point shooting at 31.6 percent. Over their three-game losing streak entering Sunday’s game, the Pistons made 22 of 98 3-point attempts, 22.4 percent. They finished 9 of 29.The Pistons compounded their 3-point woes by enduring a tough night at the foul line, as well. They went 3 of 9 in the first half, trailing by six at halftime, and finished 13 of 24 while the Pelicans went 20 of 23. In an eight-point loss, the Pistons were outscored by seven at the foul line despite shooting one more free throw.

BACKCOURT IMBALANCE – Reggie Jackson has had recent flashes, especially during the five-game win streak, but Sunday was a game he’d probably like to forget. Though he did amass seven assists with just one turnover, Jackson didn’t score a basket until 4:32 remained – his only one in six shots. Jose Calderon played a solid game offensively, but like Jackson he didn’t provide much scoring punch. Calderon had nine assists, zero turnovers and no steals, but missed his only shot. Dwane Casey has toyed with the possibility of using rookie Bruce Brown at point guard, but with Reggie Bullock and Stanley Johnson both injured he needs Brown at the wing. New Orleans got great production from its backcourt. In addition to Holiday’s big game, Tim Frazier gave the Pelicans 14 points – all in the second half after taking only one shot in the first half – and eight assists.