Detroit Pistons rally in both halves despite shorthanded roster in loss to OKC Thunder

OKLAHOMA CITY — Shorthanded, the Detroit Pistons put up a fight against the NBA’s top team.

They couldn’t pull off the comeback, though, falling to the Oklahoma City Thunder, 119-103, on Wednesday at Paycom Center.

It was the Pistons’ second straight loss, and it drew on the previous defeat, with Isaiah Stewart (two games) and Ron Holland and Marcus Sasser (one game each) suspended by the NBA following the team’s brawl Sunday with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Detroit Pistons forward Tim Hardaway Jr. (8) drives to the basket against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (11) during the second quarter at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on Wednesday, April 2, 2025.

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Additionally, the Pistons were without star guard Cade Cunningham, who missed his fifth straight game with a left calf contusion. Tobias Harris, who missed the Pistons’ previous two with right achilles tendinopathy, returned to the starting lineup but was ruled out in the second half due to the same injury.

The Pistons trailed by many as 17, but got within four points late thanks to a strong defensive fourth quarter, holding the Thunder to 7-for-20 shooting in the final period. Lu Dort knocked down a dagger 3-pointer with 2:49 left, though, to give Oklahoma City a 112-103 lead.

The Thunder came out of the gate hot, knocking down 14 of their first 19 shots (73.7%) to take a 37-22 lead late in the first quarter. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished with 33 points, sparked the strong start with 15 points on 5-for-6 shooting in the opening period.

Despite their early dominance, the Pistons whittled the deficit to single digits several times before making a late push in the fourth. They opened the final period with a 17-5 run, punctuated with a three-point play by Paul Reed that made it 102-98 with six minutes left. A putback dunk by Ausar Thompson cut it to four again with four minutes to play, 107-103.

Tim Hardaway Jr. led the Pistons with 23 points. Dennis Schröder added 15 points and seven assists. Jalen Williams had 23 points for the Thunder, and Chet Holmgren finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds.

Detroit Pistons forward Tim Hardaway Jr. (8) shoots and scores against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first quarter at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on Wednesday, April 2, 2025.

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With the loss, the Pistons’ magic number for clinching a playoff berth (and at least a top-six seed in the postseason) remained at one. They can clinch their first postseason appearance since 2019 with a win Friday in Toronto (7:30 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network Detroit Extra), or with a loss by the Orlando Magic (37-40) on Thursday night on the road against the Washington Wizards. The Pistons, meanwhile, are fifth in the Eastern Conference — three games behind the Indiana Pacers for the 4-seed and homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs — and half a game ahead of the sixth-place Milwaukee Bucks.

The veteran shooter has stepped up while the Pistons have dealt with injuries and suspensions. Wednesday was Hardaway’s third consecutive game with at least 20 points, and he was the primary reason the Thunder were unable to run away with the game early despite leading by 16 points.

He carried the Pistons’ 3-point shooting, knocking down five of his first six attempts. For much of the night, he had more made 3-pointers than his teammates. He finished the night 5-for-7 from 3. His teammates were 5-for-28. Hardaway knocked down two straight late in the second quarter to spark a 12-2 run that allowed them to whittle a 14-point deficit to four, 63-59, with 15 seconds to play until halftime.

Hardaway scored 21 of his 23 points in the first half, setting the table for his teammates to pick up the slack in the second half.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons rally twice in 119-103 loss to Oklahoma City Thunder

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Detroit Pistons rally in both halves despite shorthanded roster in loss to OKC Thunder

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