Philadelphia — The Pistons had another tough time on the road, with the Philadelphia 76ers jumping out to a 22-point margin in the fourth quarter, before the Pistons mounted their comeback.
The rally fell short in a 110-102 loss, which dropped the Pistons to 0-4, but there were some good takeaways from the Pistons’ offense and defense:
► SADDIQ’S SHOT: After hitting 38% on 3-pointers last season, there might have been some concern about Saddiq Bey’s shooting in the first three games. Bey was shooting 4-of-17 (24%) from beyond the arc, but he hasn’t been discouraged about his shot.
Bey didn’t hesitate late in the game when the Pistons needed a boost, making all four of his 3-point attempts in the fourth quarter, when they were making their big run. It was a slow start to the season, but the Pistons are hoping that they can build on the momentum from their fourth-quarter surge and start seeing some shots fall.
“I didn’t start off the game well and I was missing some early reads and some easy shots,” Bey said. “My rhythm was a little off at the beginning, but I just want to win so bad that I’m always fighting to find my rhythm and try to find a way to help the team win as much as possible.”
► BUILDING BLOCKS: Killian Hayes had his second straight encouraging performance, after struggling in the first two games of the season. Hayes finished with nine points, five rebounds and four assists, and was a key component in the fourth-quarter comeback attempt.
His put-back basket and 3-pointer helped with the momentum and he had some good passes to open teammates that set them up for easy looks. It’s probably Hayes’ best all-around game of the season, and even though he finished just 4 of 11 from the field, seeing him be more comfortable in finding shots, and not rushing them, was an improvement.
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Coach Dwane Casey said he wants to see Hayes improve on his confidence, and having back-to-back games with good production is a step in that direction. Hayes could have had a bigger boost if the last drive that he had that could have brought the Pistons within striking distance.
► BIG TEST: With Joel Embiid in the middle, the Pistons had a tough test in trying to match up with the All-Star big man. Kelly Olynyk had five fouls and Isaiah Stewart three in their primary assignment defending Embiid and Andre Drummond.
Embiid was 8 of 19 from the field and he had his moments with some emphatic dunks, but Casey said that besides the fouls, he liked the job that the Pistons big men did in defending Embiid.
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Rookie Luka Garza also had a stint against Embiid, and although he’s not known for his defense, Garza had a productive five minutes, making a pair of 3-pointers, and serving notice that he wasn’t going to back down from Embiid. It could be a confidence boost for Garza as he continues to try to improve his defense.
► STRUGGLES AT THE LINE: The Pistons were 19-for-27 on free throws, and in a close game, those kinds of stats play a little bigger than normal. Bey missed three of his four free throws and Grant’s two misses in the fourth quarter could have made the game a little more interesting.
BOX SCORE: 76ers 110, Pistons 102
Free throws have been a little bit of a struggle this season, with the Pistons hitting 74% from the line. It’s still a small sample size, and those numbers tend to find their level as the season progresses, but it’s something to keep an eye on.
The Sixers converted 22-of-24 free throws (92%) and that helped them to put the game away down the stretch.