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    • Detroit Pistons brick late free throw in 101-99 loss to Rockets
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    Detroit Pistons brick late free throw in 101-99 loss to Rockets

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    The Detroit Pistons fell 101-99 to the Houston Rockets on Sunday in a back-and-forth game decided at the free-throw line.

    The Pistons fell behind by five points, 100-95, with 1:28 to play after giving up offensive rebounds and second-chance buckets on three straight possessions for a 6-0 Rockets run. Cade Cunningham had a three-point attempt blocked, but Tobias Harris secured the rebound and knocked down a corner 3 to make it three. With 8.1 seconds left, Sengun split a trip at the free throw line.

    Cunningham was immediately fouled after receiving the inbound pass with 5.1 seconds left, and intentionally missed the second free throw after making the first. The Pistons recovered the offensive rebound and Tobias Harris was fouled with a second left.

    Harris missed the first free throw and the Pistons (4-7) were unable to recover from his intentional miss, sealing the win for the Rockets (6-4).

    “That’s obviously tough, but we’re confident that Tobias will knock down his free throws,” Pistons coach JB Bickerstaff said. “He just missed it tonight.”

    Cunningham led the Pistons with 26 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. His triple-double streak came to an end after three games, but he achieved another milestone by reaching the 3,000 career point threshold. He is the fourth fastest Piston to reach the milestone, behind Kelly Tripuka, Dave Bing and Bailey Howell.

    Isaiah Stewart, who started in place of Jalen Duren (ankle sprain) for the second straight game, added 16 points, eight rebounds and a pair of blocks.

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    Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. ensure a late run

    With 10 minutes left in the game, a 3-pointer from rookie sharpshooter Reed Sheppard gave the Rockets their largest lead, 80-67. Besides Cunningham and Stewart, the Pistons struggled to generate offense. Jaden Ivey went 4-for-15 with six turnovers.

    But the game changed when the Pistons’ veterans finally found a rhythm.

    Beasley and Hardaway Jr. were the cogs in a 21-7 Pistons run that gave them the lead, 88-87, around the five-minute mark. Beasley knocked down three 3-pointers during the run, and Hardaway added a 3-pointer and 3-point play that brought the Pistons within a point.

    The game was ultimately lost due to poor offensive rebounding and shot creation in the closing minutes. The Pistons went 12-of-22 overall in the fourth quarter, with Beasley and Hardaway Jr. were in charge.

    Isaiah Stewart provided defensive lift as the starter

    After losing Duren to a sprained ankle last week, the Pistons felt comfortable knowing the center rotation was in good hands with Stewart, who was the team’s best defender through three weeks of the season.

    He was a tone setter again on Sunday, sparking a 13-5 Pistons run with his defense to erase an early 11-2 deficit. And he was effective without making mistakes, making two mistakes all match while dealing with a tricky assignment in Sengun.

    “That’s who Stew is, a man who does a thankless job every night,” Bickerstaff said last week. “We do our best to make sure he knows how much we appreciate him, because playing in the dirt, playing in the trenches every night, is not emphasized.

    “The fact that he sets so many screens for so many people and creates so many opportunities for everyone else on the floor, no one writes about that. But we understand how important he is and how much we appreciate him.”

    It’s unclear when Duren will return, but the Pistons’ depth at center has held up so far with Stewart and Paul Reed.

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

    Make ‘The Pistons Pulse’ your favorite Detroit Pistons podcast, available wherever you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) or watch live/on demand on YouTube.

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