Pistons fail to reach .500 with subpar offensive night vs. Bulls

DETROIT — The Detroit Pistons' subpar offensive performance led to a 122-112 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Monday night at Little Caesars Arena. The Pistons shot 42.9% from the field and 15-of-44 from behind the arc.

Fatigue might’ve been vital in their performance, given that the game marked the Pistons’ fifth back-to-back set of the season and the sixth game over the previous nine days. The Pistons (7-9) came into the game with the chance of reaching a .500 record after 16 games — a feat the franchise has not accomplished since 2017-18, when they began the season 11-5.

Five players scored in double-figures, with Cade Cunningham leading the way with 26. He finished with a double-double by recording 10 assists. On his 21st birthday, Jalen Duren posted his sixth double-double of the season with 22 rebounds and 15 points.

Malik Beasley scored 21 points off the bench amid the return of Tim Hardaway Jr., who missed the previous three games due to a head injury.

Detroit’s offensive performance was a significant turnaround after its best outing against the Washington Wizards 24 hours earlier. Ironically, the Bulls (6-9) also had a 180 in their play following a horrific night against the Houston Rockets on Sunday.

Behind a season-high 29 points from Nikola Vucevic, the Bulls shot 48.4% from the field and 23-of-46 on 3-point attempts. In a blowout loss to the Rockets, Chicago shot 14-of-56. Vucevic also added a double-double with 12 rebounds.

The Pistons came into the fourth quarter trailing the Bulls 93-85 and opened the period on a 10-2 run. An and-1 basket by Cunningham tied the game at 95-95 with 8:46 left. However, Josh Giddey (11 points and 10 assists) gave the Bulls a two-point advantage with a lay-up attempt two possessions later. Giddey's basket ignited a 10-0 run for Chicago.

The Pistons' ongoing theme throughout the night was playing from behind. The Bulls established momentum in the first quarter while connecting on eight of their first 10 attempts from behind the arc.

The Pistons came close to matching their production on several occasions. A 3-point field goal made by Marcus Sasser cut Detroit’s 13-point deficit down to one (47-46) with 7:31 left in the second quarter. However, each time the Pistons made a run, the Bulls had a response. Chicago held a 65-57 lead at the half. Zach LaVine dominated the Pistons in the second half, scoring 20 of his 25 points. Cody White added 25 points.

Up next

The Pistons will begin a two-game road trip on Thursday night against the Charlotte Hornets. They will then travel to Orlando to face the Magic on Saturday. Tipoff between the Pistons and Hornets is slated for the Spectrum Center at 7 p.m. ET.

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