Detroit Pistons blown out again, fall to Bucks for 23rd straight loss, 146-114

MILWAUKEE — At this point in a disaster of a season, it’s about the moral victories. 

There were a few positives in Saturday’s blowout than Friday’s blowout. Cade Cunningham bounced back after mustering only four points against the 76ers the night before. The Detroit Pistons shot better overall, and from 3. 

And, well … they didn’t trail by 40 points at any point either. 

But alas, a blowout is a blowout. The Pistons suffered their second 32-point defeat in as many nights, falling to the Milwaukee Bucks, 146-114. It was a quick defeat — the Bucks led by 23 points after the first quarter and by 30, 54-24, with 10:12 remaining in the second quarter. 

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With three minutes to go until halftime, Thanasis Antetokounmpo — Milwaukee’s human victory cigar — checked in. There was no question what the final outcome would be. To Detroit’s credit, he got a quick hook at the 55-second mark after the margin was cut to 21. 

Cunningham finished with 25 points, six assists and knocked down 10 of 17 free throws. Bojan Bogdanovic added 24 points, and Marvin Bagley III, who returned from a three-game absence due to a lower back sprain, scored 12. The Pistons remained thin at center, as Isaiah Stewart missed the game with a left shoulder sprain. 

Two Milwaukee players reached the 30-point threshold — Damian Lillard (33) and Bobby Portis (31, plus 12 rebounds). Giannis Antetokounmpo added 22 points, eight rebounds and six assists. The Bucks shot 56.8% and knocked down 19 3-pointers, completely dwarfing the Pistons, who shot just 21.4% (6-for-28) on 3s.

The Pistons’ next chance to end their skid is Monday against the Hawks in Atlanta to close out their three-game road trip. 

Pistons’ shooting woes continue 

After shooting a season-worst 19% from 3 in Friday’s 32-point loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit went through similar woes again in Milwaukee. Wide-open shots clanked off of the rim. Bogdanovic, Alec Burks and Isaiah Livers, the primary spacers on the team, were a combined 2-for-13. 

It’s tough to put a finger on why shots haven’t been falling. They’re not struggling to generate open shots. Is there a psychological element to it?

“It may be,” head coach Monty Williams acknowledged after Friday’s loss. “I’m not sure. To me, it’s like you can’t think about how many games you lost in the game. You have to do the things necessary in the game, with a clean slate in your mind, to go out there and play free basketball. But I do get the question, and that may be a question for the players. We haven’t shot the ball particularly well for a while. I keep believing that we’re due for a big game shooting the ball and defending and rebounding the ball at a higher level.”

Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him @omarisankofa. 

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