NBA: Late comeback carries Pistons past Pacers
Saddiq Bey #41 of the Detroit Pistons tries to get a shot off next to Isaiah Jackson #23 of the Indiana Pacers during the second half at Little Caesars Arena on March 04, 2022 in Detroit, Michigan. Gregory Shamus/Getty Images/AFP
Saddiq Bey had 25 points, Cade Cunningham contributed 20 points and nine rebounds points and the Detroit Pistons rallied past the visiting Indiana Pacers 111-106 on Friday.
Down by six with 2:55 to play, the Pistons finished the game on a 12-1 run to win for the fifth time in seven games.
Detroit’s Marvin Bagley III supplied 18 points and eight rebounds, while Isaiah Stewart added eight points and 13 rebounds. Jerami Grant chipped in eight points, five rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots for Detroit, which leads the four-game season series 2-1.
Malcolm Brogdon’s 26 points led the Pacers, who have alternated losses and wins over their past seven games. Buddy Hield had 16 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, and Duane Washington Jr. also scored 16 points. Isaiah Jackson contributed 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Jalen Smith added 12 points and 11 rebounds.
A Bey 3-pointer tied the game at 105-all with 1:40 left. Cunningham’s layup with 1:09 to go gave Detroit a 107-106 lead. With 19.1 seconds remaining, Grant made two free throws to nudge the advantage to three points.
Smith missed a 3-point attempt and Bey hit two free throws to clinch the Pistons’ victory.
Detroit led by as many as 15 points in the first half, but Indiana cut the deficit to 65-62 by halftime.
The Pistons went 9-for-15 from 3-point range during the half. Bey led the way with 14 points, including a trio of 3-pointers. The Pacers had three players in double figures by halftime, led by Brogdon with 13 points.
Stewart’s driving layup with seven minutes left in the third quarter pushed Detroit’s lead to 78-69.
Indiana then reeled off the next 10 points with Brogdon and Tyrese Haliburton combining for five points and three assists during that stretch.
Bagley and Isaiah Livers combined for Detroit’s last 11 points of the quarter and the Pistons held an 89-88 advantage entering the fourth.
Washington made a jumper with 8:49 left to give the Pacers a 95-93 lead. Bey’s 3-pointer with 5:50 remaining tied it at 98-apiece.
Brogdon fired in a 3-pointer with 3:16 left to give Indiana a four-point lead.
