Three quick observations from Thursday night’s 96-91 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena.
NO CLOSING PUNCH – Playing their first game without both Cade Cunningham and Isaiah Stewart, the Pistons were presented the added misfortune of facing the Los Angeles Clippers on the night they had both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, their two perennial All-Stars, in the starting lineup for the first time this season. That’s a lot of firepower, but it wasn’t the Clippers offense that did in the Pistons. Indeed, the Pistons came into the game with the NBA’s 30th-ranked defense, yet held the Clippers to 15 first-quarter points and 42 in the first half, winning the turnover battle and converting in transition. But the Pistons couldn’t capitalize to the degree they might have because they missed their first 11 3-point shots and never led by more than 12 points. The Pistons led from midway through the first quarter until the final minute of the third quarter. But their offense sputtered in the second half, scoring 17 in the third quarter and 24 in the fourth. Leonard, playing in only his third game of the season, was a long way from All-Star form as he scored just six points on 2 of 8 shooting in 24 minutes. George was also quieter than usual with 16 points on 5 of 18 shooting but his 3-pointer with eight minutes to play put the Clippers ahead for good. Bojan Bogdanovic led the Pistons with 26 points and Jaden Ivey added 18. Ex-Pistons guard Reggie Jackson led the Clippers with 23 points.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! – Jalen Duren is still the youngest player in the NBA, but he’s no longer 18. Duren turned 19 when the game moved to the second half – well, he was 19 in the Eastern time zone by then, anyway – but his last moments as an 18-year-old were pretty spectacular. Duren checked in for Marvin Bagley III midway through the first quarter when Bagley picked up a second foul and in six minutes he wowed a Los Angeles crowd that isn’t easily impressed. Duren finished the quarter with six points, five rebounds and a blocked shot. His first eye-popping play was a spectacular offensive rebound of an Alec Burks missed 3-pointer in traffic followed by a powerful dunk. A minute later, he blocked a Norman Powell layup to fuel a fast break that ended with a layup for fellow rookie Jaden Ivey. Bagley picked up a third foul shortly after re-entering the game in the second quarter, requiring Duren to play 17 first-half minutes. He scored on a pretty half-hook from 8 feet in the second quarter, displaying the touch the Pistons feel eventually will allow Duren to become a well-rounded force. Duren finished with eight points and nine rebounds in 25 minutes.
KNOX ON CALL – Kevin Knox opened the season in the rotation but shot 2 of 14 in the season’s first two games and then was pushed from the playing group with the return of Isaiah Livers from a hip injury. But the ripple effects of not having Cade Cunningham and Isaiah Stewart plus Cory Joseph being available but coming off a hip injury cracked the door for Knox to fill out the second unit in limited minutes. Knox was a big part of a 12-5 closing rush to the second quarter that enabled the Pistons to take an eight-point lead to the locker room. Knox hit a triple, grabbed two rebounds and blocked a 3-point try by Marcus Morris on the half’s final possession. Knox was back to start the fourth quarter and finished with three points, two rebounds, two blocked shots and a steal in nine minutes. Livers played 16 minutes and finished with five points, but missed all three of his 3-point attempts and is now 2 of 13 over his last three games from the arc. The Pistons hit just 6 of 31 from the 3-point line. The Pistons got just 27 points off of their bench.