FAST BREAKDOWN
Three quick observations from Monday night’s 96-88 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers…
SLAM DUNK – The end of the Pistons’ longest losing streak of the season didn’t appear likely to happen at Cleveland. But on a night LeBron James appeared eerily human – he finished with 12 points on 5 of 18 shooting and committed six turnovers – the Pistons survived two long second-half scoring droughts to beat the Cavaliers. The Pistons came into the game on a five-game losing streak, while Cleveland had won five straight – including a 22-point win at Oklahoma City on Sunday that came without Kyrie Irving. The Pistons led by 18 points with 6:32 left before going eight straight possessions without a point as Cleveland pulled within six points. But Reggie Jackson’s tough runner built the lead back to eight and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s strip of James and layup made it a 10-point game with 1:26 to play. The Cavs opened the fourth quarter missing their first 10 shots as the Pistons went on an 11-0 run to take an 18-point lead. Tobias’ Harris tip-in with 4:56 left in the third quarter gave the Pistons a 75-58 lead. But they were 0 of 6 with three turnovers and two missed Andre Drummond free throws over their last 10 possessions of the quarter to allow the Cavs to creep back within seven points. Jackson finished with 23 points to lead six Pistons in double figures – and nobody beyond those six scored. Caldwell-Pope finished with 19, Drummond 16 and 15 rebounds and Harris and Marcus Morris 14 apiece. The Pistons scored 33 first-quarter points and led 56-49 at halftime with Caldwell-Pope (15) and Jackson combining for 29 points and the starters accounting for all but four points from Stanley Johnson.
FREE THROW – Van Gundy admitted disappointment with the decision the Pistons made, based on the evidence revealed via physical examinations of Donatas Motiejunas’ back, to rescind the trade that sent Joel Anthony and a protected No. 1 pick to Houston last week for Motiejunas and shooting guard Marcus Thornton. “It’s disappointing because we saw the possibilities,” Van Gundy said. The Pistons get their No. 1 pick back. Van Gundy said because the decision to rescind the trade came after the trade deadline passed, the Pistons could not renegotiate terms of the protections on the draft pick to more accurately reflect the level of risk they would have been accepting with Motiejunas’ physical condition. On Saturday, as Motiejunas was going through his exam with Pistons doctors from DMC, Van Gundy talked about upcoming games with New Orleans and Cleveland and mused how Motiejunas would be a viable option to match up against bigger power forwards like Anthony Davis and Kevin Love. He also envisioned Motiejunas as a part-time center, especially against opposing centers like Nic Vucevic and Kelly Olynyk who are comfortable playing away from the basket. But those plans only improved the Pistons if Motiejunas was healthy enough to fulfill their vision. “I would do it over again if it were out there,” Van Gundy said. “We did our due diligence. Just thought there was too much risk.”
3-POINTER – The loss of Anthony Tolliver, out two to four weeks with a grade one right knee sprain, coupled with the collapse of the trade that would have brought Donatas Motiejunas and Marcus Thornton to the Pistons, dangerously thins the Pistons at power forward. Tobias Harris took Tolliver’s place in the starting lineup and will be considered the power forward, Stan Van Gundy said, in part because of Marcus Morris’ comfort level playing small forward. Stanley Johnson, who has split his time backing up Morris and shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, becomes almost exclusively a small forward – though he suffered an apparent shoulder injury in the fourth quarter at Cleveland. And Darrun Hilliard takes backup minutes at shooting guard behind Caldwell-Pope. Van Gundy said he talked to Joel Anthony on Monday afternoon once the trade was rescinded and hopes to have him back in time for Wednesday’s game vs. Philadelphia. The addition of Anthony gives Van Gundy greater latitude to use Aron Baynes for spot minutes at power forward, as well. The result of calling off the trade also leaves the Pistons with an open roster spot that Van Gundy said could be utilized to address the situation at power forward.
