AUBURN HILLS, Mich. _ The questions surrounding the Detroit Pistons are back.
At the 10:02 mark of the third quarter against the Utah Jazz, point guard Reggie Jackson was yanked, never to return to the Pistons' 97-83 loss Tuesday night at the Palace.
At the 5:02 mark of the third quarter, center Andre Drummond joined him.
The Pistons (33-35) had appeared to right the ship with a 12-5 stretch since Feb. 1.
But after two straight uninspiring losses, fair or not, pundits and fans critical of the two franchise foundation pieces, will have more ammunition.
Not that their teammates fared much better against the Jazz's vise-like defense.
With center Rudy Gobert terrorizing any Piston who ventured near the basket, the Jazz held the Pistons to 42 percent shooting.
Gobert had four blocked shots and altered many more in making a strong case for the NBA's defensive player of the year.
All-Star Gordon Hayward scored 25 points and was 4 for 7 from 3-point range to lead and 13-for-28 performance from downtown for the Jazz (43-25).
George Hill added 17 points.
There were a smattering of boos throughout the evening, as the Pistons trailed by 23 points in the second half.
"Nice effort tonight, guys," one fan yelled as the final seconds ticked away.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was the only starter to score in double figures, finishing with 10.
Ish Smith, who played practically the entire second half, finished with 16 points and three assists.
Aron Baynes was the most effective Piston with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
With Drummond sitting for the last 17 minutes, fan favorite Boban Marjanovic got playing time in the fourth quarter.
Although they were benched, Jackson and Drummond did remain engaged in the game with both offering encouragement to teammates.
Pistons Stan Van Gundy decided to go with Jon Leuer in the starting lineup, but the team started the game slumbering.
An early 11-0 run from the Jazz had the Pistons trailing, 14-5.
The Jazz dominance continued with the Pistons' deficit growing to 26-11 on a Dante Exum corner 3-pointer.
The Jazz defense, anchored by the towering Gobert, prevented few good looks.
But Smith was able lead a quick uprising at the end of the first quarter, helping the Pistons to end the quarter on an 8-2 run, cutting the deficit to 28-19.
The Jazz shot 5-for-10 from 3-point range in the first quarter.
The onslaught continued in the second.
An 11-2 run gave the Jazz a 52-35 lead on a Boris Diaw 3-pointer.
