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    • Detroit Pistons are embarrassed at home by the New York Knicks 128-98
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    Detroit Pistons are embarrassed at home by the New York Knicks 128-98

    Eira Gwyneth Posted on

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    Midway through the second quarter, the Detroit Pistons had more turnovers (10) than field goals made (9).

    This statistic sums up a game that was almost over from the start. The Pistons trailed by 26 points in the first quarter and lost 128-98 to the New York Knicks at Little Caesars Arena. They committed seven turnovers and shot 6 of 21 in a disorganized opening period, giving the Knicks a commanding lead as some fans were still finding their seats. The Pistons trailed by as many as 38 points in the second half.

    The Pistons had no answer for Jalen Brunson, who scored 26 of his 36 points in the first half. Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 22 points and 6 rebounds, and Tobias Harris added 13 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three blocks.

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    JB Bickerstaff looks for spark, changes rotation

    When the Pistons struggled in the first half, head coach JB Bickerstaff moved deeper on his bench and introduced a lineup he hadn’t yet tried.

    Midway through the second period, Malik Beasley came on for Jalen Duren and formed a small lineup with Cunningham, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Marcus Sasser, as well as Harris in the middle. The game was already out of control, but the change brought some results. The Pistons won the second quarter 33-30, shooting 14 of 21 (66.7%) after hitting just 28.6% of their looks in the first.

    The five-out gap opened the way for Cunningham, who scored 10 points on 5-for-5 shooting in the second period.

    Sasser, who had played just 21 minutes in two games Friday, played nearly 10 minutes in the second and finished the game in the fourth. The second-year guard, capable of hot streaks from 3-point range, managed just one shot — a transition layup — on two attempts and finished the game with two points.

    The Knicks led by as many as 33 points in the first half thanks to good shooting (52.9% overall, 9 of 17 from 3) and the Pistons’ slack play (16 points on 11 Pistons turnovers). As usual, their turnover difficulties were due to avoidable bad passes.

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    Pistons adjust Isaiah Stewart’s offensive role

    During the first few weeks of the season, Stewart was the Pistons’ best defensive player. His energy off the bench was game-changing on Wednesday as he posted seven points, 11 rebounds and three blocks to help the Pistons beat the Philadelphia 76ers for their first win.

    Offensively, however, things were a little slower. Stewart spent his first four seasons refining his 3-point shooting and shot 38.3% from distance last season. He averaged about four 3-point attempts per game in his final two seasons. However, this season he has almost given up shooting.

    Stewart had made just one 3-pointer in five games entering Friday. The coaching staff asked him to roll to the basket instead of diving behind the arc. The chances weren’t there.

    “This is all my fault,” Bickerstaff said Wednesday. “We asked him to roll the dice because we were playing with a lot of four-out spacing. When he pops up, he often pops up in different coverage and that changes the spacing a little bit, so I asked him to roll to the basket a little bit more early in the season. If we keep moving this thing forward, we’ll find ways to get him back into space where he can continue to fire that shot because he’s able to knock it down.”

    Friday was a turning point as Stewart stepped up and finished with two 3-point attempts (though he missed both). Due to his lack of size and leaping ability, it can be difficult for Stewart to complete shots at the rim. He’s not a high-volume 3-point shooter either, but it’s an effective weapon that the coaching staff will use more.

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

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    Eira Gwyneth
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