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    • The Detroit Pistons are confident of acquiring Jaden Ivey, but come up short in a 105-97 loss
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    The Detroit Pistons are confident of acquiring Jaden Ivey, but come up short in a 105-97 loss

    Caradoc Wyn Posted on

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    EAST LANSING – The Detroit Pistons made their first seven shots on Tuesday night.

    They had to work much harder for the rest.

    The Pistons fell 105-97 to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday at the Breslin Center, going 1-1 in the preseason. Both the Pistons and Suns owners — Tom Gores and Mat Ishbia, respectively — are Michigan State graduates and sat courtside. Of course, Ishbia also played point guard as a walk-on under Tom Izzo from 1999 to 2002.

    Izzo was also at the game and chatted with the Pistons staff throughout the night.

    Do you want to work again? Pistons showed tenacity on defense as they defeated the Bucks in their preseason opener

    Malik Beasley replaced Tim Hardaway Jr. in the Pistons’ starting lineup. The other four have remained the same since Sunday’s win: Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Simone Fontecchio and Jalen Duren. Tobias Harris (illness) and Bobi Klintman (right calf contusion) missed their second consecutive appearance.

    Hardaway replaced Cunningham to open the second half.

    Duren (17 points) and Ivey (16 points, five assists) led the Pistons. Cunningham scored just three points in less than 19 minutes but had eight assists. Kevin Durant led the Suns with 21 points.

    The offense is stagnating after a promising preseason game 1

    After making 11 of 19 attempts (57.9%) in the first quarter, the Pistons slumped to 28% in the second quarter. Then first-year head coach JB Bickerstaff sat Cunningham out in the second half, and things got worse. The Suns went on an 18-0 run in the second half to take complete control, with the Pistons shooting 30% in the third period and scoring fewer goals (6 of 20) than in the first six minutes of the first.

    Compared to Sunday, when they overcame a 17-point deficit against the Milwaukee Bucks and won the game by 33 points, the Pistons’ overall performance was lacking. On Sunday, they shot 46.2% overall with 12 turnovers. On Tuesday, they had 18 turnovers and shot 41.2%.

    With the game spiraling out of control after halftime, Bickerstaff slid deep to the bench. Wendell Moore Jr., two-way players Daniss Jenkins and Tosan Evbuomwan, and Exhibit 10 signings Lamar Stevens, Javonte McCoy and Dereon Seabron all saw the floor.

    The offense improved in the final period as Detroit’s bench shot 11 for 21 and outscored the Suns 31 for 20, cutting the final deficit to single digits.

    Ivey stays hot

    The third-year guard led the Pistons with an efficient 22 points on Sunday. He kept firing Wednesday, knocking down a mid-range jumper and a pull-up 3-pointer in the final minute of the first period. It was his fourth straight three-pointer, following a 3 of 3 against Milwaukee.

    After an up-and-down second season, Ivey had confident performances in the first two games of the preseason. His stroke looks more fluid and his shots were timely and under control.

    Contact Omari Sankofa II at [email protected]. Follow him @omarisankofa.

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    Caradoc Wyn
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