Pistons vs. Bucks final score: Milwaukee is way too much for a rebuilding Detroit roster

The Detroit Pistons faced off against the Milwaukee Bucks for the third time in 10 days and the last attempt went much like the first two. Milwaukee controlled pretty much the entire game, the Pistons fought hard, but the talent gap was too much. This time, Detroit fell 110-101.

Giannis Antetokounmpo overpowered the Pistons in the first half en route to 22 points and Detroit was never able to recover from the big hole it dug. A late surge made the final score look closer than it was, but even with the lopsided defeat, there were a few positives to take away from the game.

Jerami Grant continued his streak of 20-point games, though this one was a lot rougher than the others. Grant, like the rest of the Pistons roster, struggled around the rim with Milwaukee’s length and had to battle to earn every point.

With Derrick Rose out, Svi Mykhailiuk took advantage of the additional backcourt minutes and put together perhaps his best game of the young season. Svi ended with 18 points while making two of his four attempts from the long line. It felt like more than the shots falling, though. Rather than simply hunt deep looks, Svi operated well off the ball and even probed for a mid-range jumper at one point. He was controlled and played with confidence, which even translated to the defensive end of the floor on several occasions.

Isaiah Stewart saw the floor for 17 minutes tonight and he rewarded Dwane Casey with nine points, seven boards, and some solid defense. Stewart found himself on Giannis and Jrue Holiday several times and stayed with both surprisingly well in space. He didn’t always finish those plays with a stop, but it was encouraging to see him operate effectively on an island.

After some poor Frank Jackson minutes, Saben Lee showed off his quickness and playmaking for 13 minutes. Lee only scored four points, one after he swiped the ball from D.J. Augustin, but he looked solid as the point guard of the bench against a tough defense.

One of the biggest stories of the night came in what didn’t happen on the court, though.

Despite the game never being realistically in reach for Detroit, Sekou Doumbouya didn’t play a single minute. And that came on a night where the Pistons went 12 deep. His lack of playing time continues to be a major story for a rebuilding team.