Detroit, MI
Detroit Pistons’ guards go cold against LeBron, Lakers in L.A., 125-111
LOS ANGELES — Since snapping their 28-game losing streak in late December, the Detroit Pistons have been among the NBA’s hottest-shooting teams.
That wasn’t the case Tuesday.
The Pistons hit just eight of their 28 attempts (28.6%) in an 125-111 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. They started poorly and trailed by as many as 16 in the first quarter. A 17-2 second-quarter run put the Lakers further in control, and the Pistons trailed by 23 at halftime after shooting 3-for-19 (15.8%) from downtown in the first half.
It was a rough night for Detroit’s guards. Cade Cunningham (12 points, seven assists, seven rebounds) and Jaden Ivey (15 points, five assists) combined to shoot 9-for-31, and Marcus Sasser missed his first nine attempts before making his 10th late in the fourth quarter.
WAITING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE: Quentin Grimes can’t wait to add his defense, winning mindset to Pistons
Ausar Thompson (19 points, 9-for-13 overall) and James Wiseman (18 points, 8-for-12) were more efficient. So was Evan Fournier, who scored 13 points in his Pistons debut.
The Lakers were led by LeBron James (25 points, eight assists), D’Angelo Russell (21 points) and Anthony Davis (20 points, 14 rebounds, six blocks).
It was Detroit’s second straight loss, following Saturday’s defeat to the Clippers, after consecutive road wins over the Portland Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings.
New Piston Quentin Grimes, acquired from the New York Knicks last week, missed the game with a right knee sprain.
Detroit will fly to Phoenix to face the Suns on Wednesday before heading into All-Star break.
Pistons slump from 3 after hot stretch
Since Dec. 30, the Pistons are third in the NBA in 3-point percentage at 40.1%. It’s practically a 180 turnaround compared to the first two months of the season, during which they ranked 28th shooting 33.4% overall.
There were several factors driving Detroit’s improvement — including hot stretches by Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks and January’s trade that yielded Mike Muscala and Danilo Gallinari. Even after Thursday’s deadline, which saw all but Muscala depart the team, the Pistons project as a team that can knock down shots due to the additions of Grimes, Simone Fontecchio and Troy Brown Jr.
The Pistons couldn’t buy a 3-pointer in Los Angeles. A modest improvement in the second half — they went 4-for-8 after only getting three to fall in the first two periods — wasn’t enough to come back against the Lakers, who shot 14 of 35 (40%) from the 3-point line.
Fournier makes debut
The 31-year-old French forward, who arrived in Detroit alongside Grimes and Malachi Flynn last week, made his debut midway through the opening period. It wasn’t clear if the veteran would have a role on a team that suddenly has depth on the wing, but he was among Detroit’s better scorers on a night when most of the team struggled. He and Fontecchio were the only players to make more than one 3-pointer, with two each.
“I’m really excited to finally be out of New York, and looking forward to a new opportunity,” Fournier said after Sunday’s practice at UCLA.
“From watching those last three games and a couple of practices, high-energy team with a lot of enthusiasm. Hard-playing team, they’ve been playing really strong on the trip. So far, so good.”
[ MUST LISTEN: Make “The Pistons Pulse” your go-to Detroit Pistons podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ]
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him @omarisankofa.
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Detroit, MI
Lions News: How Detroit became contenders in just 3 years
It hasn’t been an easy road for the Detroit Lions. At this point, everyone knows the history. For decades, the franchise felt as though they couldn’t get things right. Even when there were glimmers of hope from Hall of Famers like Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson, they couldn’t get enough together to make things click.
Then, after an especially embarrassing performance on Thanksgiving back in 2020, Lions principal owner Sheila Hamp said enough was enough. She cleaned house before the end of that season and immediately began laying the groundwork of her plan to make this team a consistent winner—something the city and its fans can be proud of.
That plan led them to hire both coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes in 2021, and the two got to work. Cameron Wolfe of the NFL Network joined “The Insiders” to discuss how the Lions have built a Super Bowl contender in Detroit, and how it wasn’t an immediate success by any means.
Wolfe dove into how Campbell leads the team, including some specific examples from left tackle Taylor Decker that really highlights just how good of a communicator Campbell is as a coach. You can listen to the full segment from Wolfe below.
Lions have NFC’s best record and NFL’s best point differential.
Joined @nflnetwork The Insiders to highlight some of “how” behind their 3-year journey from same ‘ol Lions to elite Super Bowl contenders: pic.twitter.com/KulnlVDWW6
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) November 23, 2024
And now, onto the rest of today’s notes:
- Lions defensive tackle DJ Reader handed out 250 Thanksgiving meals at Detroit Edison Public School Academy this Friday and ESPN’s Eric Woodyard was there to speak with Reader during the event.
#Lions’ DJ Reader handed out 250 Thanksgiving meals at Detroit Edison Public School Academy today. Detroit will face the Colts on Sunday ahead of their annual Thanksgiving showdown vs. Chicago. @Djread98 is trying to help the Lions get their 1st holiday win since 2016. pic.twitter.com/4zgSR4avxN
— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) November 22, 2024
- Greg Cosell of “NFL Matchup” on ESPN breaks down the dagger concept and how Detroit’s offense executes it so well.
How dominant have the @Lions been this season? They’ve won 8 straight..going for 9 against the @Colts on Sunday…haven’t won 9 in a row since 1934. Also..Detroit has 2 50+ point games this season. All 31 other teams have combined for….1 pic.twitter.com/Czm9q3nQ48
— trey wingo (@wingoz) November 23, 2024
- Best safety duo in the league and it’s really not much of a debate.
- I hope Indianapolis is ready for a different shade of blue to take over their town for the weekend.
Detroit, MI
Romulus residents welcome opening of Sheetz convenience store
(CBS DETROIT) — Neighbors near the only Michigan Sheetz store welcome the addition to their community and believe expansion is good for state.
“It makes my life a whole lot easier and I love it,” said Wendy Drew, who lives half a mile from the first Michigan Sheetz store. “I use a lot of gas and it’s always cheaper there than the two other gas stations we have.”
However, every community isn’t keen on the proposed expansion of up to 80 new locations of the Pennsylvania-based chain of convenience stores.
Earlier this week, the Middle East and Northern African Chamber of Commerce (MENA) held a panel for independent gas station owners who are concerned about the large chains ability to undercut their prices.
“Sometimes you need competition like that,” said Robert White, who lives near the Romulus location. “You have to play the game.”
“The other two gas stations near me are ridiculous,” said Drew. “And my truck takes a lot of gas. I like Sheetz.”
Detroit, MI
How to Watch Orlando Magic vs. Detroit Pistons on Saturday, November 23
ORLANDO, Fla. – After a three-game west coast trip, the Orlando Magic have returned home. They’re set to square off with the Detroit Pistons Saturday night for a one-off home game before again hitting the road. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET inside the Kia Center.
The Magic went 2-1 out west, with wins over Phoenix and the LA Lakers sandwiching a loss to the Clippers Wednesday night. Franz Wagner’s game-winner sealed a signature 119-118 win over the Lakers last time out, bringing a Hollywood ending to his 37-point, 11-assist night.
Detroit is no stranger to a thriller either. Their last time out, the Charlotte Hornets took them to overtime and, with the help of Brandon Miller’s 38 and LaMelo Ball’s 35, defeated the Pistons 123-121.
Who: Orlando Magic (10-7) vs. Detroit Pistons (7-10)
What: NBA regular season game
When: Saturday, November 23, 7 p.m. ET
Where: Kia Center, Orlando, Florida
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Florida, FanDuel Sports Network Detroit, NBA League Pass
Radio: 104.5 The Beat, Magic Audio Network, SiriusXM
Point Spread: Orlando -10.5
Last Meeting: Orlando 113, Detroit 91 on March 3, 2024
Orlando Magic
Detroit Pistons
Jamahl Mosley, Orlando Magic: Mosley tipped off his fourth NBA season as a head coach this season, all of which having come with the Magic. He’s 113-150 in the regular season all-time, and 3-4 in the playoffs. Before Mosley was named the head coach of the Magic, he was an assistant with Dallas, Cleveland, and Denver. He’s a Colorado alum, and played four years of professional basketball in Mexico, Australia, Finland and South Korea.
J.B. Bickerstaff, Detroit Pistons: Bickerstaff is in his first season as the Pistons head coach after being let go by the Cavaliers at the end of the 2023-24 season. He got four full seasons with the Cavaliers and led Cleveland to two consecutive playoff appearances in his final two. He also had part of a fifth season after taking over as interim coach during the 2019-2020 season. Throughout his coaching career, he’s been a head coach in Houston and Memphis, as well as an assistant in Cleveland, Memphis, Houston, Minnesota and Charlotte. He;s won 262 games as a head coach in the NBA.
Follow ‘Orlando Magic on SI‘ on Facebook and like our page. Follow Magic beat reporter Mason Williams on Twitter/X @mvsonwilliams. Also, bookmark our homepage so you never miss a story.
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