Ron Holland missed FTs, cost Pistons a collapse against the Bucks, 127-120

by Junna Base November 14, 2024

The Detroit Pistons’ hard-fought overtime win over the Miami Heat on Tuesday came with injury costs.

They lost two starters – Tim Hardaway Jr. (head injury) and Jaden Ivey (right big toe sprain) – and Simone Fontecchio (left big toe sprain). A day later, on Wednesday, the Milwaukee Bucks awaited them on the road.

The Bucks were also shorthanded due to injuries, but still had enough.

Late blunders were costly for the Pistons, who collapsed Wednesday and gave up an 18-point lead en route to a 127-120 overtime loss to a Bucks team without Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton.

The Pistons led 70-52 at the start of the third period. That was before a 33-14 run gave Milwaukee its first lead of the night at 85-84 at the end of the period. Marcus Sasser tied the game at 111 with 25.7 seconds left in the fourth.

For the second straight year, the Pistons tried to win the game with an inbounds alley-oop. Cade Cunningham almost converted the pass to Ron Holland, but the rookie was fouled in the air by Giannis Antetokounmpo. With one second on the clock and a chance to win the game, Holland missed both free throws by narrow margins.

Antetokounmpo scored 59 points, a season-high, to lead the Bucks to victory. He sparked an 8-0 run to open overtime by draining a deep pull-up 3-pointer, giving the Pistons their largest deficit of the night, 119-111. They couldn’t recover.

Cunningham scored a season-high 35 points, had 11 assists and grabbed seven rebounds. Malik Beasley added a season-high 26 points and knocked down eight 3-pointers. Wendell Moore Jr. played a season-high 23 minutes and finished with nine points and four rebounds.

Beasley delivers his best performance of the season

It’s been an up and down season for Beasley, who has shot 36.6%, the lowest mark of his career. But that number doesn’t reflect his impact on the team, both on and off the field. He’s knocked down timely threes, like his late basket against the Heat on Tuesday that tied the game before Cunningham’s alley-oop over Duren led to the eventual win.

And Beasley has embraced his mentorship role on the team. Players have often mentioned how helpful he was.

“He’s great,” Bickerstaff said after Tuesday’s win. “We had to let him run for long stretches in the second half. But he made big shots for us, and he took over from (Tyler) Herro late in the game and got some stops there too. Beas was phenomenal – his energy, the way he brought people together, all those things. He has helped us a lot in setting up this project so far.

Beasley spent all of last season with the Bucks and had a message to send. During the most shorthanded game of the season, he was one of the biggest catalysts for the team’s early 18-point lead.

Holland earns first start despite injuries

It wasn’t clear how big the rookie’s role would be on a Pistons team that appeared to have depth on the wing. But Ausar Thompson’s absence has paved the way for Holland, and while he’s still powerful, he’s also made big plays in crucial moments and earned the trust of the coaching staff.

Wednesday was one of his best, as he reached double figures in scoring for the second time in his short career with 11 points on 5-for-10 shooting, four rebounds, two assists and a steal. Holland has developed a flair for maneuvering around defenders and finishing, scoring several Euro-step completions in Milwaukee.

Unfortunately, his first start ended with two missed free throws that could have allowed the Pistons to get the game within .500. It was an inauspicious rookie moment in a game that started out as one of his best.

Contact Omari Sankofa II at [email protected]. Follow him @omarisankofa.

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