Detroit Pistons rally falls short vs Oklahoma City Thunder after Cade Cunningham ejection
A big night from MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — and an ejection for Cade Cunningham — spelled doom for the Detroit Pistons on Saturday.
Cunningham was ejected late in the third quarter, and Gilgeous-Alexander scored 48 to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 113-107 win. It was the Pistons' second straight loss, following a loss to the Eastern cellar-dwelling Washington Wizards at home Thursday.
Cade Cunningham was ejected with 47.5 seconds left in the third during a sequence that allowed the Thunder to take five free throws. While Jaylin Williams was at the line to shoot two free throws, Cunningham was whistled for consecutive techs and Dennis Schröder was whistled for one as they debated the call with the referees. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and Ausar Thompson had already been called for techs earlier in the game.
The Thunder took their biggest lead of the night, 91-75, following a 3-pointer from Gilgeous-Alexander late in the period. The Pistons responded with a 22-7 run that brought them within one, 98-97, following a 3-pointer from Malik Beasley with 4:17 remaining in the game.
Gilgeous-Alexander closed the win out for the road team, though, knocking down a 3-pointer and pair of jumpers down the stretch, and a dagger 3-pointer from Cason Wallace with 1:33 left gave the Thunder a seven-point cushion, 109-102.
Tobias Harris led the Pistons with 18 points and 7 rebounds. Schröder added 17 points and 11 assists off the bench. Cunningham finished with 11 points, nine assists and seven rebounds on 5-for-18 (27.7%) shooting.
The Pistons came out of the gate cold as Gilgeous-Alexander and Wallace got going immediately, scoring the Thunder’s first 16 points on perfect 7-for-7 shooting. A 3-pointer from Lu Dort extended the deficit to 11, but the Pistons answered with a dominant 24-3 stretch during which they held the Thunder without a field goal for 6:19 of game time
A 3-pointer from Simone Fontecchio gave the Pistons their biggest lead of the first half, 36-26, after opening the second period with a 13-2 run. They were unable to slow Gilgeous-Alexander, though, who checked in with 5:07 remaining until halftime and scored 11 points down the stretch, leading a 20-10 run to give the Thunder the lead at halftime, 55-54.
The Pistons shot 48.8% (21-43) overall in the first half and held the Thunder to 41.5% overall and just 5-for-22 (22.7) from 3, but were hurt by 11 turnovers.
Cunningham’s ejection sparks late rally
Little Caesars Arena might have been at its loudest this season following Cunningham’s ejection. The crowd was animated and chanted, “Refs, you suck!” during the long stoppage and jeered as Cunningham exited the floor.
The Pistons appeared to feed off the energy, opening the final period with a 23-10 run. Schröder stepped up in Cunningham’s stead with seven points and six assists in the fourth, and Harris scored six as they shot 12-for-23 overall (52.2%) as a team.
Stewart powers dominant defensive stretch
The Thunder were held without a field goal from the 5:04 mark of the first quarter until 9:45 to play in the second quarter. They missed 16 consecutive shots and went 0-for-1 at the free throw line as the Pistons rallied from an 11-point deficit. Stewart’s defense was a key reason why.
He checked in with just over four minutes remaining in the opening period, and his presence at the rim created problems for the Thunder as the Pistons closed the quarter with an 11-1 run. On the first possession of the next period, he met Ousmane Dieng at the rim and rejected his dunk attempt, provoking a loud reaction from the home crowd.
The following possession, he stole the ball from Isaiah Hartenstein and later capped a 20-1 Pistons run with a 3-pointer at the 9:57 mark, giving the Pistons an eight-point lead. He tallied a pair of blocks and a pair of steals in under six minutes, helping them take control of the game as Cunningham took a rest before checking in with 8:25 left in the second.
Stewart’s teammates have lobbied for Defensive Player of the Year recognition, for good reason. He has emerged as one of the league’s premier shot-blockers and rim protectors. His block percentage (3.4%) is the highest of his career and in the 91st percentile among bigs, according to Cleaning The Glass.
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @omarisankofa.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons find footing in 4th, but struck down by Thunder, 113-107
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