Pistons fumble their way to eighth straight loss against Grizzlies

The Detroit Pistons have struggled against the Memphis Grizzlies in recent years. They came into the FedEx Forum riding a seven-game losing streak and having dropped 10 of their last 11 games in the series.

After coming off an emotional win against the Toronto Raptors on Monday, and with the progress made under coach J.B. Bickerstaff, the Pistons were in prime position to halt their ongoing struggles against the Grizzlies. However, Wednesday night, the Pistons' losing streak against the Grizzlies reached eight after a 131-111 loss.

Cade Cunningham missed his third straight game due to a joint injury. However, Detroit's injury report expanded with the absence of Tobias Harris, who missed his first game due to a wounded hip. The short-handed Pistons fell to 8-12 overall while sustaining their fourth loss in five games.

Marcus Sasser scored a team-high 22 points for the short-handed Pistons. Simone Fontecchio scored a season-high 18 with three triples.

After his first-career game-winning basket against the Raptors, Jaden Ivey finished with 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting and 3 of 5 from behind the arc. However, his play became more of a detriment due to his struggles with ball security. He recorded a season-high seven turnovers.

The Pistons recorded 20 giveaways, conceding 24 points. They have eclipsed 16 or more turnovers in three of their previous four losses, averaging 16.2.

The Grizzlies have also been hammered by the injury bug, which has resulted in them taking the floor without All-Star guard Ja Morant, who missed his 10th game of the season. His latest absence came after he sustained a knee injury in Tuesday's win against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Marcus Smart led the Grizzlies in his absence with 25 points, shooting 7 of 11 from deep. He scored 16 in the first half as Memphis took a 71-53 lead. Brandon Clarke (19) and Scotty Pippen Jr. (18 points, seven rebounds) were vital for the short-handed Grizzlies.

Observations vs. Grizzlies

When Ron Holland scored a two-handed dunk at the 2:54 mark of the first quarter, the Pistons appeared to be on the verge of a blowout victory. Holland gave Detroit its largest lead of the night at 33-22. At the time, the Pistons' offense was clicking on all cylinders amid Memphis' struggles.

However, Marcus Smart's 3-point field goal two possessions later helped the Grizzlies close the period on a 12-2 run. Memphis used the momentum established to maintain its dominance over the Pistons. In the second quarter, they outscored Detroit 37-18 while shooting 59.3% from the field and 45.5% from three.

With Harris sidelined due to a hip injury, Bickerstaff was left searching to fill another vacancy within the starting lineup. Bickerstaff replaced Harris with Ausar Thompson, which was surprising given that the second-year forward just made his season debut Monday. He played 20 minutes, recording four assists, four rebounds and three points.

Despite the loss, Ron Holland II had the best game of his rookie season. The first-year player finished the night with a career-best 14 points, shooting 5 of 8 from the field and 2 of 2 from behind the arc.

Up next

The Pistons will end their two-game road trip Friday night against the Indiana Pacers. It will be the third In-Season Tournament game of East Group B, where the Pistons have a 2-0 record. The Milwaukee Bucks are first after going 3-0 in group play. Tipoff between the Pistons and Pacers is slated for 8 p.m. ET.

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