Pistons let 18-point lead slip away in loss to Kings

Coty M. Davis, The Detroit News on Apr 7, 2025

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DETROIT— The Detroit Pistons are nearly secured as the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference, but that doesn't mean coach J.B. Bickerstaff will let his team coast through the last four games of the regular season. His goal is to ensure his team stays sharp entering the playoffs, which will likely result in the Pistons meeting the New York Knicks in the first round.

An interconference match against the surging Sacramento Kings gave Bickerstaff a chance to test his postseason strategy against a team still hoping to get out of play-in contention in the Western Conference. A playoff-style game at Little Caesars Arena on Tuesday night demonstrated that the Pistons still have a lot to improve upon amid a 127-117 loss.

“Consistency is key for us, and that's not to say that other guys won’t get opportunities and those type of things,” Bickerstaff said. “Where we are right now and what our plan is to be as clear as we possibly can in understanding what we need to do, who we are, what our system is, what rotations may look like, that’s kind of our focus right now.”

With the loss, the Pistons fell to 43-36 overall. The game against the Kings also marked Detroit’s last matchup of the season against a Western Conference opponent, concluding with a 15-15 record.

“Understand we want to win these games,” Bickerstaff added. “We want to go out and put our best foot forward, we want to put our guys in the best position to be successful, so when we get in the playoffs, we’re playing with some confidence.”

The Pistons had a much better start to the game when compared to their subpar performance in Saturday’s loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. Tim Hardaway Jr. got things going early for the Pistons by scoring 14 of his 17 points in the first half, which led to a 72-62 lead by intermission.

He was one of four players who scored in double figures through the first two quarters, with Ausar Thompson adding a dozen. He finished the night with 15 points, five assists and two steals, continuing his slight scoring surge. Thompson came into the game averaging 15.3 points on 50.0% shooting from the field.

The Pistons held a lead of 18 points (66-48) with just over four minutes remaining in the second period, but the Kings did not back down. DeMar DeRozan kept Sacramento afloat en route to a 37-point outing. However, Zach LaVine led Sacramento’s comeback.

He scored 13 points in the third quarter, and his contributions led to the Kings winning the period 35-22, taking a 97-94 lead. LaVine scored a game-high 43 points on 16-of-28 shooting, 8 of 11 from deep. From the end of the third to the beginning of the fourth, the two-time All-Star scored 16 consecutive points for Sacramento.

Cade Cunningham matched LaVine's second-half scoring surge in the fourth quarter with 11 points. However, it was not enough to stop the Pistons from suffering their second consecutive loss. Cunningham played in his second game since making his return from the calf injury that sidelined him for six games. He finished with 35 points, with 25 coming in the second half.

The Pistons trailed Sacramento by three points (113-110) with six minutes left in the final period when Ron Holland scored on a driving layup. His basket brought Detroit within a point, but DeRozan's mid-range jumper two possessions later ceased Detroit's momentum. Domantas Sabonis added a triple-double of 19 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists for the Kings.

Observations and notes vs. Kings

— J.D. returns: Jalen Duren made his return to the lineup after missing the previous game due to a right peroneal contusion.

— A solid night from the bench unit: Despite the loss, the Pistons’ second unit outscored the Kings 37-19 in bench points.

— Tobias Harris’ injury update: Tobias Harris’ absence against the Kings marked the fifth time over the previous two weeks he missed a game due to an Achilles injury. Bickerstaff announced during his pregame availability that the veteran forward is “getting better,” and the team just wants to make sure that “he is right.”

“For a guy who has played as much as he has, he knows what it takes for his body to be where he wants it to be,” Bickerstaff said. “We trust in him. He is working his way back and has taken steps forward.”

Up next

The Pistons will continue their four-game homestand on Thursday night in a first-round playoff preview against the New York Knicks. It will be the first of a back-to-back set that concludes Friday night against the Milwaukee Bucks. Tip-off between the Knicks and Pistons at Little Caesars Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

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