The Detroit Pistons missed a pivotal chance to extend their win streak to four against a wounded Washington Wizards team playing without their star point guard John Wall.
Having gotten to a six-point lead at the half, the Pistons were throttled by a Wizards team that put the clamps on defense and outscored Detroit 35-15 to take a 14-point lead into the fourth quarter.
Things didn't get better for the Motor City in the final period, outscored 28-24, despite the team's two of the team's top shooters in Bradley Beal and Kelly Oubre Jr. struggling from the field in a combined 6-of-21 performance from the floor.
Head coach Stan Van Gundy didn't sugarcoat this poor effort from his team post-game.
“They played so much harder than we did,” Van Gundy said after his team was collectively outscored 63-38 in the second half, according to Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. “We did nothing. I don't really have an explanation for it, but I know what we all saw.
“They played a lot harder at both ends. They brought more offensive energy, they brought more defensive energy, intensity. We brought nothing to the table. It was an embarrassing effort.”
Players owned up to their ghastly response to start the half just as much as Van Gundy had condemned them for.
“The way that we started the second half was unacceptable and we played like we thought the game was over from the beginning of the second half,” forward Tobias Harris said. “They were able to jump on us, they were able have good energy and get more physical. We just couldn't pick it up from there.”
The Pistons (14-7) will look to rebound from this loss against the Philadelphia 76ers tonight on the road.
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