Bey, Stewart
DETROIT, MI - DECEMBER 6: Isaiah Stewart #28 of the Detroit Pistons, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl #50 of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Saddiq Bey #41 of the Detroit Pistons watch of the rebound during the game on December 6, 2021 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2021 NBAE (Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images)(Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images)

Pistons pay for failure to ‘play 48 minutes of basketball’

The Pistons had their best first quarter of the season and their worst fourth quarter. On the karmic scale, the fourth quarter outweighs the first and … oof, that fourth quarter.

You can blame a Pistons defense that gave up too many cuts for easy baskets and a Pistons offense for a turnover-fueled stretch of the third quarter to open the door or you can blame the lopsided numbers in fouls and free throws that – good calls or bad calls – allowed the Thunder to hang around and disrupt the Pistons offensive rhythm.

Bottom line, the Pistons blame themselves for the reality that one team was going to walk out of Little Caesars Arena with a nine-game losing streak and that team ended up being them.

“The emphasis coming in was to play physical, play hard and make ’em feel us,” Saddiq Bey said. “We’ve got to learn to do that without fouling. We gave up a lot of free throws in the first quarter and the last quarter, as well. We’ve got to learn to play physical without fouling.”

There were some startling fourth-quarter statistics – or perhaps alarming would be the more appropriate modifier. Oklahoma City shot 89.5 percent, hitting 17 of 19 shots, including all four of its 3-pointers in outscoring the Pistons 42-22 and closing on a 23-6 run. The Pistons turned it over five times for 10 points. The Pistons had just six turnovers until late in the third quarter, when they turned it over five straight times. They finished with 17 for 21 Thunder points.

“Very indicative of being a young team,” Dwane Casey said. “Until we learn it’s a 48-minute game, play possession by possession … there was a stretch in the third quarter with like four, five turnovers in a row. We’d done a great job in the first half taking care of it. Until we string it together, we’re going to feel like this a lot.”

Cade Cunningham, who played his college basketball 66 miles from Oklahoma City in Stillwater at Oklahoma State, should have been the story of the night. He put up a season-high 28 points, continuing to show that his early-season shooting struggles were an aberration induced by missing all of training camp and preseason. But he wasn’t in a mood to celebrate, either.

“We have to play 48 minutes of basketball. We didn’t do that tonight,” he said. “Just locking in on the game plan and sticking to it for the whole game. I felt there was some spurts we kind of freestyled it and didn’t execute what we were supposed to.”

Even as the Pistons were scoring 37 points in the first quarter and building an 18-point lead before halftime, they allowed Oklahoma City to hang around at the foul line. Their 13-point halftime lead came despite being outscored 13-5 at the line. It didn’t get any better. For the game, Oklahoma City hit 23 of 30 at the line to 5 of 6 for the Pistons. Fouls were 26 to 13. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points – eight plus six assists in the fourth quarter – and hit 12 of 15 free throws, shooting nine more by himself than the Pistons as a team.

“It’s unbelievable,” Casey said. “I’ve got to go back to look at it – 30 free throws – to see where all that was. But that’s a big discrepancy.”

It wasn’t just giving the Thunder the opportunity to put up points, either, but the way the constant stoppages undermined the rhythm the Pistons established early on offense. The Pistons shot 52 percent in the first quarter, 37.5 percent the rest of the way.

“That definitely hurt,” Cunningham said. “It kind of made us back off a little bit. I think we wanted to be physical to start the game out and that was consistent throughout the game, getting fouled and them getting to the line. You can’t blame the referees. That’s their job. It’s on us to adjust to it.”

“It’s growing pains,” Bey said. “Trying to learn how to finish all four quarters. That’s something we’re trying to go through. It’s a challenge for us.”