Derrick Rose was the difference for the Detroit Pistons in a tightly contested matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday. Here was the good, the bad and the Ball from the Pelicans’ 105-103 loss to the Pistons.
The Good: NOLA’s Interior Defense
Despite not having Zion Williamson or Derrick Favors for Monday night’s contest, the Pelicans were able to hold Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin to a combined 5-20 shooting from the field. Overall, the Pistons scored just 105 points, which is the third-least points they’ve allowed this season.
Brandon Ingram was also stellar, scoring a game-high 31 points on 11-21 shooting from the field, including 4-9 shooting from behind the arc.
Unfortunately, the combination of those two things wasn’t enough for the Pelicans to snap their nine-game losing streak. They came close, but Derrick Rose scored 17 points in the fourth quarter, including the crowd-silencing buzzer-beater.
The Bad: Free-throw shooting
The Pelicans missed seven of the 22 free throws they attempted Monday night. They lost by two. Do the math.
The Ball
In his first game back on the bench, Lonzo Ball tallied 6 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and one turnover in 29:31. He looked a bit better on defense, but his overall offensive game is still rough.
