Detroit trailed by 14 in the third quarter, but the Pistons forced the Bulls to miss their next 12 shots and turn the ball over five times in a stretch of seven minutes, emphasized by this game-tying put back dunk shot:
In the fourth, the Pistons had a chance to seal the game late, but Rodney Stuckey missed three free throws in the final 1:48, allowing Derrick Rose's first -- and only -- three-pointer of the game to tie it and force overtime (after Stuckey's buzzer-beater was off the mark). Much like the Pistons' other overtime games this season, overtime spelled trouble. The Bulls outscored the Pistons 14-8 in the period of free basketball, beating Detroit for the 15th straight time.
Of course, Stuckey's free throws may have cost his team, but they're not in that position without his 13 makes from the line en route to a game-high 32 points. In the end, the Pistons played the East's best team very tough -- a building block of sorts -- and didn't hurt their lottery odds in the process. A win-win loss, so to speak.
- Charlie Villanueva saw his most extensive PT of the season, burning almost 20 minutes. He was 6-for-15 and 1-for-6 from long range.
- CV was involved in the other arguable turning point of the fourth when he was whistled for a flagrant and a technical [MLIVE]:
- CV playing meant no Jerebko. Frank said it was no reflection of Jerebko; he simply wanted to see CV play more minutes.
- Macklin didn't play again, but it sounds like Frank plans on it happening and will try different lineups through the finale.
- For the first time, Brandon Knight had his third straight game of five or more assists. He had a career high seven turnovers, but he's averaging over seven assists in the last three games. Also, after five straight games of not getting to the line, he's been to the line in the last six games.
- Box score
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Three different players ended up making 4 of 5 free throws during the break and a follow-up possession in which the Bulls kept the ball.
The result was a four-point possession for a 77-76 Bulls lead – their only lead of the fourth quarter – and a disrupted flow which Detroit had discovered late in the third quarter.
"That was a big turning point to the game," Stuckey said. "But it happens. We just had to move on."
Villanueva said Rose instigated their post-foul conversation, "and I get called for a technical."
"It wasn't like I was trying to hit him on purpose, to try to play dirty, nothing like that," Villanueva said. "I went for the ball and they called a flagrant foul."