Pistons vs Pacers

It has officially been two games with James Wiseman, Marvin Bagley, and Jalen Duren all in the Detroit Pistons' rotation. Through two games, the results ...

The Pistons will have a chance at redemption against the Pacers at the same time, same place on Monday night. The most impressive part of his attack on the offensive end was that his shot wasn’t his primary weapon tonight. With James Wiseman assuming the responsibilities at the 5 and getting touches in the interior, Bagley was often forced to be out on the perimeter. It was also another solid performance on a solid rookie campaign for Duren, finishing with 16 points going 8-of-10 from the free-throw line. It was also another outing for James Wiseman that simultaneously showcased his flashes of offensive brilliance and his areas of inconsistency. Indiana set the tone in the first half, leading by as many as 16 points.

The Pacers were missing Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner, T.J. McConnell and Bennedict Mathurin but beat a still out-manned Pistons team.

He was 7-of-11 from the floor and hit yet another 3-pointer, continuing to show that he still has shooting range. The injuries to Tyrese Haliburton and T.J. It got even more emotional in the morning when he learned that Turner was out and he would be starting. He had a very strong first half, scoring 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting, but in the second half he struggled again, making just 1-of-7 attempts for five points. He plays the game the right way. Rebounding is usually a problem for the Pacers, but they grabbed 18 offensive rebounds to the Pistons' 12 and scored 26 second-chance points to the Pacers' 10. Isaiah Jackson was born in Pontiac, Mich., about 40 minutes from Little Caesars Arena, so he had a lot of family and friends in town. I want to see them go out and play the same kind of game knowing that Detroit is gonna make adjustments. Jackson and Chris Duarte moved into the starting lineup for Turner and Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith and Buddy Hield took up the other three starting spots as usual. So the Pacers had to fill in four four rotation players and the Pistons had to make up for the loss of five. It meant plenty of minutes for centers Isaiah Jackson and Jalen Smith together. The Pacers improved to 31-37 with their fifth win in seven games.

An Eastern Conference showdown between a pair of underwhelming teams is on tap for this evening s the Indiana Pacers take on the Detroit Pistons in the ...

After embarking on a 23-59 record a year ago, it certainly is deflating that the Pistons have seemingly taken a step back in their rebuilding process this season, as the additions of point guard Jaden Ivey and other newcomers haven’t really helped one bit. Believe it or not, the Pistons do happen to be good at one thing, and that happens to be forcing occasional turnovers. If the Pacers are without a good bulk of their starting lineup, then finding a way to cover the spread may prove to be difficult. Alas, the Pistons don’t boast a ton of height in the paint, but not boxing out and getting after loose balls won’t do the Pacers any favors. First things first, the one downfall that the Pacers might endure in this one is the lacking of a supporting cast that often times sees valuable minutes. Remaining one-game back of the tenth and final play-in tournament spot, the 30-37 Indiana Pacers know that the time is now to make a move upward in the Eastern Conference standings.

Double-doubles from Killian Hayes (17 points, 13 assists) and Jalen Duren (16 points, 11 rebounds) weren't enough to help the Pistons end their skid.

See all of our podcasts and daily voice briefings at [freep.com/podcasts](http://www.freep.com/podcasts). [The Pistons were without Jaden Ivey, who entered health and safety protocols](https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2023/03/11/jaden-ivey-detroit-pistons-health-safety-protocols-indiana-pacers-bennedict-mathurin/69996631007/) on Friday. He used his footwork again in the second quarter, spinning past his defender and using a half step to get open and make another layup. The Pistons missed Duren, and he could see his role expand if Bagley has to miss time. Duren set the tone by nearly tallying a double-double in the first half with 14 points and nine rebounds. [It was another good night for Omoruyi](https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2023/03/08/detroit-pistons-eugene-omoruyi-making-most-of-opportunity/69983792007/), who reached double-figures for the second time in three games while on the tail end of a 10-day contract. 10, he combined for 10 points (on 4-for-13 shooting), 20 rebounds and zero blocks over his next three games. It was a passing showcase for Hayes, who showed once again that he’s the best playmaker on the roster when he’s in a groove. He had nine of his 13 assists in the third quarter without turning the ball over, and scored or assisted Detroit’s first 11 field goals before Joseph assisted an Omoruyi layup with 45 seconds remaining in the period. His two-week rest helped him, as he put together his most energetic performance in a month on Saturday. Jalen Duren also had a double-double with 16 points, 11 rebounds and a pair of blocks, and Wiseman finished with 16 points and eight rebounds. But they went cold in the final period, knocking down just one of 10 3-point attempts while the Pacers shot 10-for-19 overall.

The Pacers are back on the road for their next three games including two in a row in Detroit.

[Celtics](https://www.celticsblog.com) and [76ers](https://www.libertyballers.com). IND: Tyrese Haliburton - questionable (bruised left knee), T.J. One player we know will be out is rookie Bennedict Mathurin after he suffered a rough ankle sprain early in the win over Houston on Thursday. The lead guard is back on the injury list with a few other players, listed as questionable which always raises the question of the team’s motives from game to game. Detroit currently holds the worst record in the league which puts them right where they want to be for a shot at Victor Wembanyama. [Indiana Pacers](https://www.indycornrows.com) (29-37) tip off a long ‘weekend’ in the Motor City when they play the fist of consecutive games against the [Detroit Pistons](https://www.detroitbadboys.com) (15-52) on Saturday night.