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While the Pistons were inducing Red Pandas in the penultimate preseason game in Manitoba, I was witnessing a not-so-cute Panda with a tobacco-filled underbite and a terrible haircut hit three bombs against the Tigers in Game 1 of the World Series. Needless to say, I've had enough of Pandas. Like Jeff Daniels, I will probably have Panda nightmares tonight. Please, I'm begging you, don't Red Panda this makeshift recap.
The Pistons scored 10 points in the first quarter, trailed by as many as 29 and ultimately lost by 19, 95-76. Detroit started the third quarter on an aggressive 21-1 (!) run to pull within three points, but the Timberwolves finished the quarter on a 15-3 run of their own to put the game back into double digits for good.
Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love, the Timberwolves' two best players, did not play. DANTE CUNNINGHAM had a double-double for the T'Wolves, though -- and I'm not talking about a cup of coffee from Tim Horton's with two creams and two sugars.
SB Nation Detroit's recap has the box score breakdown of went wrong for the Pistons:
The Pistons, as evidenced by the score, had major trouble putting the ball in the basket. The team shot just 32% from the floor and 69% from the free throw line. They were also wiped out on the glass (51-34) and in total assists (23-13). Detroit got to the line 20 more times than Minnesota, but just about negated that advantage by making only 12 more free throws than the Wolves.
Did anything go well?
Stuckey's shot looks great - Lemins
Stuckey's looking good, eh?
He’s working on being the best SG in the Eastern Conference not named Dwyane Wade. -- Shinons*
Stuckey finished with 21 points on 6-for-13 shooting (1-for-4 from long distance) and had four rebounds, an assist and one turnover.
Kyle Singler was probably the Pistons' second best player with 11 points (3-for-4 shooting), four rebounds and two steals in 24-plus minutes.
As was mentioned earlier in the preseason, Frank was supposed to be deploying regular season type rotations in these final preseason games. How did that go?
Lawrence Frank isn’t winning any friends with his lineup choices. I don’t know why he’s been so hesitant to go with a lineup of Knight-Stuckey-Jerebko-Monroe-Drummond, but fans desperately want to see it. It seems like we’ve seen every other combination this preseason except that one. I’m sure Frank has a reason for it, but it has been a long time since the Pistons had five promising young players at once. It would be great to see them all on the court at once.
Who caught the game? Now, your thoughts.