MINNEAPOLIS _ That it took five extra minutes of overtime to finish it only made it more difficult.
The Wolves had a rather epic collapse Wednesday at Target Center against a Detroit team that came to Minneapolis having lost six of seven games while struggling mightily to make shots.
Up 14 entering the fourth quarter, the Wolves were forced into overtime by a 40-point Detroit quarter that ended with Andre Drummond's basket with 0.6 seconds left.
The overtime ended with Detroit winning. Outscoring the Wolves 11-5 in the extra session, Detroit won 129-123.
The Pistons (15-14) hit nine of 14 3-pointers in the fourth quarter against a Wolves team seemingly unable to guard the perimeter. Blake Griffin, who scored a game-high 34 points, notched 18 of those in the fourth, hitting four of five 3-pointers along the way.
The Pistons hit on 20 of 48 3-pointers, a 41.7 percent clip that ultimately did in the Wolves.
With 2:06 left in overtime and the game tied, Drummond hit one of two free throws to put Detroit 124-123. After Derrick Rose missed, Reggie Jackson drove the lane and scored to put the Pistons up 126-123.
That was enough. Both Robert Covington and Rose missed 3-pointers down the stretch.
Griffin finished with 34 points. Reggie Bullock had 31 and Jackson had 23 for Detroit. Drummond had 16 points and 16 rebounds.
Rose led the Wolves with 33 points. Covington had 22, while Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns had 16 each. Dario Saric scored 15 off the bench.
The fourth quarter was 12 minutes of seemingly slow-motion torture for the 15,883 in attendance.
But even late, the Wolves had a chance.
It started when Jackson hit a 3-pointer that put the Pistons up a point with 30 seconds left.
Out of a timeout, Rose missed and the Pistons got the rebound. But Saric stole the ball and got it to Covington, who drained a corner 3 with 7.4 seconds left as the crowd went crazy.
But the Wolves just couldn't get a stop.
Even having to go the length of the floor, the Pistons managed to get the ball downcourt to get a shot up. It missed, but Drummond's put-back forced overtime, tying the game at 118.
It was a rare home loss for the Wolves (14-17), who lost for just the fifth time in 17 home games this season. And it was a hard one to take for a Wolves team that has struggled mightily on the road this season. Minnesota will play six of its next seven games on the road, starting Friday in San Antonio.
Over the final 17 minutes of the game, the Wolves were out-scored 51-31. Despite out-scoring the Pistons off of turnovers, at the free throw line, in the paint and off the bench, the Wolves were unable to make up for Detroit's 20-9 edge on 3-pointers made.
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