Detroit News

Detroit — It took long enough for Pistons rookie Isaiah Livers to make his NBA debut. A foot injury kept him sidelined for most of the season, but when he was finally healthy enough to play, it was just a one-game appearance, before he had a setback. When Livers rejoined the Pistons for a recent

Detroit — Hearing fans doing a little trash talk during an NBA game is nothing new. Most times, the side talk is a minor distraction that doesn’t impact players. Rarely, it’s the fuel that ignites a player’s competitive nature and turns into a driving force in ripping the heart out of the crowd. Some of

Detroit — On the second game of a back-to-back, after an emotional win over at Toronto on Thursday night, if the Pistons weren’t hitting on all cylinders, it would be understandable. Their long week included five games in seven nights, including a pair of back-to-backs. That’s not an easy path, especially with three of those games on

Detroit — The Pistons are in their best streak of the season, and everything points back to their team meeting on Valentine’s Day that could be the turning point. It’s not just statistically; they’re also passing the eye test with fewer turnovers and better ball movement as the hallmarks of their improved play. It’s a

Toronto — The past couple of seasons have been a struggle for the Pistons. That is, unless they’re playing the Toronto Raptors. Since he arrived in Detroit, coach Dwane Casey is 8-3 against his former team, including two wins this season. Make it 9-3. The Pistons completed the series sweep this season, with a 108-106

Toronto — The season is winding down to the last five weeks or so, and already, some of the focus is turning to the offseason and the next stage of the rebuild. There’s still value in the last stretch of the season, with some decisions being made about how the roster will be reshaped and

Toronto — About two weeks ago, the Pistons were in the midst of a miserable skid. Eight straight losses and 12 in their previous 13 games. That included a 30-point debacle to the Dallas Mavericks, a 25-point mauling against the Memphis Grizzlies and a 22-point shellacking to the Charlotte Hornets. An 11-point loss to the

Washington, D.C. — There’s has been no quit in the Pistons in the past couple of weeks. Even when they’ve fallen into some deficits, they’ve managed to pull themselves out and make it a game in the final minutes of the game. After winning three of the last four games — by a combined five points

Washington, D.C. — At the end of overtime period of Sunday’s win over the Charlotte Hornets, it wasn’t the Pistons’ starting lineup that was on the floor. Instead of Cory Joseph at point guard, it was Killian Hayes, and Kelly Olynyk, who hit the winning shot, was in at center. Coach Dwane Casey has emphasized

Washington, D.C. — There are these little things that are starting to come together for the Pistons in recent weeks. It’s not that the Pistons are becoming world-beaters or that they’ll be streaking toward a late playoff run. Not even close. It’s more that there are fewer things going wrong, and the litany of mistakes

Charlotte, N.C. — The Pistons’ losing streak to the Charlotte Hornets is over. It’s not just over; it ended in impressive fashion. The usual suspects helped the Pistons stay in the game all the way until the end, and a couple of unsung heroes helped make it a thrilling win. Kelly Olynyk hit the winning buzzer

Charlotte, N.C. — The Pistons have had some lopsided losses this season, and though they have been playing better in the past couple of weeks, they had something bigger looming over their heads on Sunday. They had lost 15 straight to the Charlotte Hornets, and on the second night of a back-to-back, they had their work

Charlotte, N.C. — Cade Cunningham has been getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar. It’s a hard temptation to break, with the way Cunningham plays defense and the challenges that he faces on a game-to-game basis. Cunningham generally is matched up against one of the opposing team’s better offensive wings, so it’s natural

Detroit — For the second time in their last three games, the Pistons played a close one with the Boston Celtics. Right before the All-Star break, they went into Boston and earned a tough win in the final minute. This time, the Pistons couldn’t hold on down the stretch. The Celtics used a 15-2 run

It could have been incidental contact, but the officials deemed it something else. What looked to be an innocent play made the Pistons shorthanded for the second half of Saturday’s 113-104 loss to the Boston Celtics. Hamidou Diallo was ejected in the second quarter after making contact with an official. Diallo was saving a ball

Detroit — For the second time in their last three games, the Pistons played a close one with the Boston Celtics. Right before the All-Star break, they went into Boston and earned a tough win in the final minute. This time, the Pistons couldn’t hold on down the stretch. The Celtics used a 15-2 run

Detroit — For the second time in their last three games, the Pistons played a close one with the Boston Celtics. Right before the All-Star break, they went into Boston and had a tough win in the final minute. This time, the Pistons couldn’t hold on down the stretch. The Celtics used a 15-2 run

Steve Kornacki |  Special to The Detroit News Ray Scott was a 12-year-old who would shovel snow off the asphalt courts with his buddies like Bill Cosby and Wilt Chamberlain and then make his way to the Philadelphia Convention Hall to see his hometown Warriors. “It was magical — absolutely!” Scott said. Scott’s NBA dreams in Philly

Detroit — Hamidou Diallo had an eyebrow-raising stretch during the first quarter of Thursday night’s win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Diallo hit three 3-pointers in the final three minutes, scoring nine of the Pistons’ final 13 points of the period. It’s not so surprising that he’d have a chunk of points in a short time

Detroit — John Beilein has a new happy place. It’s not pacing sidelines and yelling at officials in the Big Ten or in the NBA. It’s not crisscrossing the country pursuing five-star recruits. It’s not at Crisler Center on Michigan’s campus continuing the legacy he built there as the school’s all-time winningest coach. Beilein has