| Detroit Free Press
Detroit Pistons’ Jerami Grant: Winning Personal Game Cases
Jerami Grant scored a career-high 43 points, but the Detroit Pistons blew a 25-point lead in the 105-102 defeat to the Chicago Bulls on February 17, 2021.
Detroit Pistons
Jerami Grant and Zach LaVine combined with each other in the basket in the fourth quarter, but it was two Chicago Bulls players who sank crucial triangle points around the Detroit Pistons.
The Pistons built up a 25-point lead at the 2:36 mark in the second quarter, but they fell apart in the second half, and the Bulls spoiled Grant’s career-high 43 points for a comeback victory. 105-102 at United. Centre.
Coby White and rookie Patrick Williams hit consecutive tries with 1:01 and 29 seconds left, respectively, to prevent the Pistons from getting the chance to take the lead, and Delon Wright missed the game button 3 at the buzzer. , strike on the leading edge.
Grant starts and ends the evening strong, shooting 15-for-25 overall, 4-for-9 from 3 and 9-for-9 on the line.
LaVine led the Bulls (12-15) by 37 points to a two-game winning streak for Detroit, which maintained the NBA’s second-worst record at 8-20.
The match was only scheduled for Tuesday, after both teams postponed the matches, leaving an open day for the enemies of the Central Division.
It was the first of a five-game trip for the Pistons, who visit Memphis on Friday, play for two in Orlando and then visit New Orleans.
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After a short slide, Grant delivers a career night
Grant was the Pistons’ most trusted player this season and started the year on fire. He reached the 20-point threshold in 20 of his first 24 games, and he was consistent and efficient in and out.
He was due to regression, and it finally hit him last week. When he entered the fight on Wednesday, he averaged 13 points, four rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.7 blocks while shooting 27.1% overall in his last three games. The Pistons’ unexpected two-day dismissal proved beneficial to him as he bounced back against the Bulls.
Grant had a strong first quarter and scored 13 points on 5-for-7 shooting and 3-for-3 from 3 to help the Pistons build up an early eight-point lead. Even when the Pistons got cold in the second half, he kept the Pistons going. He scored six of Detroit’s 12 points in the third quarter – a quarter that had a double-digit lead toward the end – and converted several timely buckets in the fourth quarter when Chicago threatened to run away with the game.
In the fourth quarter, he ended his career night with 19 points and made six of eight attempts.
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The acclimatization process continues for Dennis Smith Jr.
Before making his debut with the Pistons last Thursday, Smith was quarantined for eight days. The Knicks awarded him the G League bubble on February 1, and then he was traded before he could take part in any live action. So he had rust to finish off, and the condition to improve as soon as he arrived in Detroit.
Wednesday was his best outing with the Pistons, scoring 10 points and hitting four of nine shot attempts in 16 minutes. A few of his shots required a bit of touch – a pull-up 3 halfways in the second, and a few tough learners near the edge. Each game was better than the previous for Smith, who finds his rhythm after a few offseasons with the Knicks.
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Saddiq Bey improves as scorer inside
Bey, the reigning player of the Eastern Conference of the Week, made the bulk of the scoring from behind the arc this season. He is a natural shooter, but it was a struggle to finish inside the arc. In his first 21 games, he converted 15 of 47 two-point attempts (31.9%).
He’s now a full-time starter, with Blake Griffin no longer turning, and coming off the heels of a hot shooting week. In his last four games before Wednesday, he averaged 17.8 points while shooting 25 of 35 (71.4%) combined.
Bey had a shooting night from outside in Chicago, with 12 points, seven rebounds and three assists. He missed four of his five tries. But he made two shots near the edge – a layup after a quick cut and a difficult layup through contact – to show he was improving as a goal scorer.
Contact Omari Sankofa II at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @omarisankofa. Read more about the Detroit Pistons and sign up for our Pistons newsletter.