Three quick observations from Wednesday night’s 123-108 loss to the Brooklyn Nets at Little Caesars Arena
THAT’S A WRAP – It was Fan Appreciation Night and for fans who appreciate scoring, it certainly lived up to its billing early. The teams combined for 81 first-quarter points, but Brooklyn had 47 of those points because they Nets were doing a lot of scoring in increments of three to the Pistons’ two. The Nets hit 10 of 18 triples in the first quarter alone and, though they would eventually cool off to 39.5 percent while taking exactly half their 86 shots from three, the early lead was too much for an injury-depleted Pistons roster to overcome. The Pistons led 27-21 at the midway point of the first quarter just a minute after Joe Harris took the place of Cam Johnson in Brooklyn’s lineup after Johnson limped off. Harris hit five consecutive triples and 6 of 8 overall before the quarter was out to propel Brooklyn to a 47-34 lead. The Nets stretched their lead to 17 by halftime, though the Pistons pulled within four at various points of the second half. The Pistons were missing eight players, including the heart of their 3-point arsenal with Bojan Bogdanovic, Alec Burks, Isaiah Livers and Rodney McGruder all out in addition to Cade Cunningham. Brooklyn began the night in the sixth spot, a game ahead of Miami, but with a 3-0 sweep of the Heat in their season series the Nets win the tiebreaker. With two games remaining, Miami can no longer overtake the Nets.
IVEY RISING – If the NBA knew last June what it knows now about Jaden Ivey, he’s not wearing a Pistons uniform today. While his 3-point shooting – Ivey hit 2 of 6 in the home finale and came into the game hitting 37 percent from the arc since the All-Star break – has been a pleasant development, it’s his ability as a playmaker that’s been the eye-opener. Ivey racked up 10 more assists on Wednesday after averaging 7.1 a game over 12 March games. Ivey also extended his streak of scoring in double figures to 37 games, a Pistons rookie record, finishing with 23 points. He gave the Pistons a scare late in the third quarter when he got fouled by Joe Harris and appeared to tweak his knee when he came down. Ivey reacted by slamming the ball to the hardwood and drawing a technical foul, then walked off gingerly and headed to the locker room for examination. But he was back on the court shortly and was back in the game to start the fourth quarter. The other Pistons rookie finishing on an uptick, Jalen Duren, scored 18 points on 9 of 11 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds.
HAMPTON HEATS UP – Eugene Omoruyi drew his fourth start when Isaiah Livers, who turned an ankle in Tuesday’s first half but returned after spending time in the locker room, was ruled out of Wednesday’s home finale – making it eight Pistons on the injured list. And Omoruyi made it nine at halftime when he, too, suffered a left ankle sprain. Another late-season pickup, R.J. Hampton, took Omoruyi’s spot in the second-half starting lineup and had a performance that will give the Pistons front office something to chew on as it mulls Hampton’s future. Hampton scored 14 straight Pistons points late in the third quarter, pulling the Pistons within four points, and finished with a career-high 27. Hampton, the 24th pick in the 2020 draft by Denver, was waived by Orlando and picked up by the Pistons in February. He’ll be a free agent after the season, but outings like Wednesday’s are the intrigue with Hampton. Omoruyi hit 2 of 4 from the 3-point arc in the first half and finished with six points and two rebounds. With Hamidou Diallo headed for free agency, the role of a bench grinder could be Omoruyi’s for the taking – though, as always, the roster will be built from the top down and decisions at the back end will be determined by what other moves the Pistons make via trade, free agency and the draft. But Omoruyi has certainly made a good impression with his hustle, willingness to sacrifice his body and nose for the ball.