Detroit Pistons rally in 2nd half, but flop in final minutes of 129-125 loss to Wizards
The Detroit Pistons marched to a 20-point victory over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday. Thursday's rematch, however, didn't go their way.
The Pistons fell to the Washington Wizards — the NBA's worst team, even with Thursday's win, at 14-51 — at home, 129-125. There were nine lead changes and three ties in the final period, but the Wizards made clutch plays late to pull off the upset.
No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr won Washington the game in the final minute, giving the Wizards the lead with an open dunk out of a pick-and-roll, then blocking a layup attempt by Cade Cunningham. The ball went out of bounds and was initially ruled as bouncing off of Sarr, but a challenge confirmed it was off Cunningham, giving the Wizards possession.
Cunningham led the Pistons with 38 points, 10 assists, two steals and two blocks and made 20 of his 21 free throws, career highs in makes and attempts. Jalen Duren added 18 points and 14 rebounds.
The Pistons nearly forced a shot-clock violation on the ensuring Wizards possession, and regained the ball, but Cunningham turned over the ball to former Piston Khris Middleton and a pair of free throws by Bub Carrington extended the lead to three. Tim Hardaway Jr. missed a 3-pointer that would've tied the game with 8.1 seconds left, and Marcus Smart split a trip to the line at the 5.4-second mark to make it a two-possession game.
It was a rough first half for the Pistons— the Wizards got hot after a slow start and shot 50%, while the Pistons went cold, shooting just 38.1% in the second half. Back-to-back 3-pointers from Smart extended the Wizards’ lead to seven at halftime, 69-62, and by a game-high 13 points early in the third following consecutive 3-pointers from Sarr and Michigan alumnus Jordan Poole, who finished with 17 points. Sarr led the Wizards with 19 points.
The Pistons finally found a burst of energy late in the third, which they closed with a 20-4 run thanks to key defensive plays by Cunningham and Isaiah Stewart, and Cunningham’s offensive aggression. He led the Pistons with 13 points in the period, making all seven of his free throws.
Cunningham has career night at line
Cunningham received MVP chants as he knocked down three free throws late in the third, tying the game at 96 after the Pistons had trailed since midway through the second quarter.
His lack of attempts at the free throw line relative to other NBA stars has been a frustration point this season, both for Cunningham and fans. Entering the game, he was tied for 30th in the league (with LaMelo Ball and De’Aaron Fox) at 5.1 per game.
Cunningham got off to a slow start with the rest of his team, entering halftime with 17 points on 5-for-15 shooting. He made a point to initiate more contact in the second half, and the whistles started going his way. He was 13-for-13 at the line after halftime.
Pistons pull out stops for 313 Day
March 13 is an annual celebration of the city of Detroit, and the Pistons like to do it big.
One of the highlights of the night — outside of the game — was a halftime performance by local rapper 42 Dugg, who has had multiple hits, including “We Paid” and “4 Da Gang.” The team’s former resident national anthem singer, LaShell Renee, returned to perform the anthem, and the “Dancing Usher,” Shannon Sailes, also made a cameo in the first half.
The first 3,130 fans received a Pistons 313 Day chain, and the first 15,000 fans — of the reported 20,062 in attendance — were given PixMob light-up bracelets that blinked at key moments during the game’s presentation.
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on X and/or Bluesky.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons upset by woeful Washington Wizards, 129-125
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