Dallas — Coach J.B. Bickerstaff recognized that a lot has changed since the Detroit Pistons last played against the Dallas Mavericks. Their first meeting in early February came a night before the Mavericks made the most shocking trade in team history, sending Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis. Since then, injuries have catapulted the Mavericks into agony.
Although the Mavericks came into American Airline Center having lost nine of their previous ten games, Bickerstaff knew that a depleted Dallas team would play hard. Friday night, the Mavericks outplayed Detroit in every aspect, leading to a 123-117 loss.
“Just by watching them, they compete,” Bickerstaff said. “It is not like you are playing against a team that doesn’t have talented players. They have had a bit of bad luck to this point. They are still playing for something. They are going to go out and compete.”
With the loss, the Pistons fell to 39-32 overall while finishing their three-game road trip with a 2-1 record. In his first professional game in his hometown, Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 35 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Ron Holland II, another Dallas native, came off the bench and added 12 points, five rebounds and two steals. Jalen Duren added 14 points, nine rebounds and two blocks.
“We just didn’t do the job defensively that we are capable of,” Bickerstaff said. “To start the game, in that first quarter, it allowed too many triggers, whether we were giving up shots or allowing them to get to the basket. We just had to be better tonight defensively.”
Klay Thompson (20 points) connected on a mid-range jumper that gave the Mavericks a 12-point lead (97-85) at the 10:14 mark of the fourth quarter. Bickerstaff called a timeout following Thompson’s field goal, which led to the Pistons embarking on a 6-0 run.
BOX SCORE: Mavericks 123, Pistons 117
Cunningham scored a layup at the 8:03 mark of the period, bringing the Pistons within three points (99-96). However, on Dallas’ next offensive possession, Naji Marshall (19 points and 11 rebounds) ended Detroit’s momentum with a triple. The sequence between Cunningham and Marshall was a small sample size of how the Pistons stayed two steps behind the Mavericks the entire night.
Outside of a three-point lead (3-0) that lasted for 44 seconds at the start of the first quarter, the Pistons trailed Dallas the entire night.
“It is tough when a team gets out in front, and throughout the game, you are steadily trying to claw your way back into the game,” Isaiah Stewart said. “It exerts a lot of energy.”
Led by Spencer Dinwiddie, who scored 17 first-half points, the Mavericks set an early tone. At the 4:35 mark of the second quarter, they led Detroit by as many as 10 points (53-43). In addition to Dinwiddie, P.J. Washington scored 16 of his 27 points in the first half. By intermission, Detroit trailed 60-54.
Dinwiddie finished with 31 points and seven assists.
At the 6:02 mark of the second quarter, Tim Hardaway Jr. rolled his right ankle on Washington’s foot. After a few minutes down on the floor, Hardaway limped to the locker room and did not return. The injury put an early end to his return to Dallas after the Mavericks traded him to the Pistons in July.
He played for seven minutes before exiting the game due to injury. Hardaway was seen leaving the arena in a walking boot.
Observations and notes vs. Mavericks
▶ Pistons continue to dominate the paint: For the 27th consecutive game, the Pistons outscored their opponent from the inside, outscoring the Mavericks 66-54.
▶ A major milestone for J.D.: With eight rebounds on the night, Duren became the second-youngest player in league history to record 2,000 career rebounds, trailing only Dwight Howard.
▶ Regular season meeting ends vs. Mavs: With the loss, the Pistons ended their two-game regular-season series 1-1 against Dallas. They dropped three of their last five matchups against the Mavericks.
Up next
The Pistons will return to Little Caesars Arena on Sunday for a game against the New Orleans Pelicans, which will begin a three-game homestand. Tip-off against the Pelicans is scheduled for 3 p.m.
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