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Pistons stagger to finish line, routed by Spurs in regular-season finale

Nolan Bianchi, The Detroit News on

Published in Basketball

"You don't go from where we are to where we want to be just by showing up."

The Spurs (22-60) had eight players players in double-digit scoring, led by 18 from Sandro Mamukelashvili.

Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (left knee management) missed his seventh straight game to close the season while center Jalen Duren (back spasms) missed his second. Wembanyama was out with an ankle injury.

Center James Wiseman, who was starting for Duren, led the Pistons with 21 points and 18 rebounds.

Wiseman and Ivey got the Pistons' scoring started, as they each had six with 2:38 left in the first quarter with the Spurs leading 22-19 behind eight points from Mamukelashvili. San Antonio extended its lead to 29-23 at the end of the first after Devonte' Graham made a deep 3-pointer with a little under four seconds left.

The Pistons quickly fell behind in the second quarter, 47-27, in part because of a scoring drought that lasted 4:06 (52 seconds of which were in the first quarter). Detroit missed its first eight field goals in the frame but got on the board with a pair of free throws from rookie guard Jaylen Nowell. But by then, the Spurs were already up 13.

 

San Antonio continued to make it rain with a big second quarter and outscored the Pistons, 34-17. Ten Spurs players had three or more points at halftime. San Antonio led 63-40 at the half. Wiseman had a double-double at half with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

It didn't get any better for Detroit in the second half. The Spurs opened the third quarter on a 16-8 run with diverse scoring to make it 79-48 with 5:13 left in the third quarter.

Detroit trailed 93-63 entering the fourth quarter, where Rhoden got hot for the Pistons momentarily and scored eight quick points to make it 101-75. He added another 3-pointer with 4:56 to go to reach 16 points.

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