Pistons rally from 20 down, lose to Wizards in second preseason game

NBA preseason lets teams practice new offensive and defensive strategies while giving two-way players a chance to show they deserve a spot on a standard contract. On Saturday, Oct. 10, Pistons' Isaac Jones and John Ukomadu each had their moment.

With 11 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Jones tied the game with a reverse, two-handed dunk. On the next defensive possession, Ukomadu's on-ball defense on Washington Wizards' Justin Champagnie was crucial, keeping the wing from getting his shot off before time expired in regulation. Despite forcing overtime, it wasn't enough, as the Wizards beat the Pistons, 114-108, at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.

BOX SCORE: Wizards 114, Pistons 108 (OT)

In their second exhibition game, coach J.B. Bickerstaff once again didn't care about the final score. Bickerstaff wanted a better first-half offensive performance than the Pistons showed in their preseason opener against the Phoenix Suns on Monday, Oct. 5. His primary goal was to see his team improve its offense.

Once again, the offensive issues that hindered their performance against the Suns reemerged. The Pistons shot 29.2% from the field in the first quarter. They struggled again as they worked with the newcomers and tried to adjust to Bickerstaff's revamped offensive system.

However, in their disappointing first quarter, the Pistons' main problem was defense. Detroit allowed the Wizards to shoot 60.9% from the field, including 5-for-9 from 3-point range. Washington guard Tre Johnson led the way, scoring 12 points on 4-for-5 shooting from beyond the arc. As a result, the Pistons entered the second quarter down 40-20.

As in the previous game against the Suns, Bickerstaff turned to his bench unit to shift momentum in Detroit's favor. The Pistons started the period with a 7-0 run, which helped them outscore Washington 30-16. The Pistons went into halftime trailing 56-50 while holding the Wizards to 33.3% shooting from the field with just four made field goals.

Paul Reed led Detroit's second-period surge, scoring eight of his 11 points, plus nine rebounds and two steals, before fouling out in the second half. With Reed in foul trouble, Tolu Smith III got his biggest preseason opportunity. He played 15 minutes and finished with six points and 13 rebounds, eight of them on the offensive glass.

The Pistons maintained their performance until the final five minutes of the fourth quarter, when they held a 94-87 lead. However, they struggled with ball handling and reverted to their offensive issues, turning the ball over five times. As a result, the Wizards outscored the Pistons 11-4 in the final minutes.

▶ Daniss Jenkins and Trae Young ejected: Through two preseason games, the Pistons have found themselves in three different altercations. A confrontation between Jenkins and Young resulted in both players receiving double technical fouls and being ejected from the game.

The incident occurred at the 8:18 mark of the third quarter when Jenkins and Young got into a brief argument and began pushing each other. As players from both teams tried to separate them, Jenkins and Young kept bickering. The referees issued double technical fouls and ejected both players. At the time of the early exit, Jenkins led Detroit in scoring with nine points on 4-of-6 shooting and four assists in 14 minutes.

▶ Pistons All-Star duo out: Jalen Duren took part in the shootaround early Saturday morning but missed his second straight preseason game against the Wizards. With two exhibition games remaining, Duren will likely return to the lineup Wednesday, Oct. 14 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Bickerstaff mentioned that the goal is for their star big man to play before the regular season begins. Cade Cunningham joined Duren on the sideline due to rest.

▶ A quick night for A.T.: Jenkins was the only player whose night ended early. Ausar Thompson's night ended at the 2:02 mark of the third quarter when he picked up his sixth personal foul. A disqualification marked what was otherwise a productive night for Thompson, as he finished with three steals and one block in 14 minutes.

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This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Pistons rally from 20 down, lose to Wizards in second preseason game