Turnovers again an issue as Pistons lose 118-104 to Wizards

Detroit — The Pistons had a prime opportunity to use Saturday's game against the Washington Wizards as a momentum builder against another struggling team now that everyone on their roster is fully healthy.

Instead, turnovers were an issue once again and the team suffered its 40th defeat of the season in a 118-104 loss to the Wizards.

The Pistons trailed by four with 5:20 left when Jordan Poole connected on a 3-pointer that gave the Wizards a 108-105 lead. Detroit couldn't execute on the offensive end for the next two possessions and it came back to bite it as Flint native Kyle Kuzma powered to the rim for a two-handed slam. That was all she wrote as the Pistons, who looked disorganized for most of the game after squandering an early 12-point lead, dropped another game in front of their fanbase at Little Caesars Arena.

Detroit (5-40) committed 17 turnovers on Saturday and the Wizards (8-37) made them it for almost every one as they countered with 21 points from those giveaways. Washington was also successful in transition with 18 fast-break points, as opposed to the Pistons' six fast-break points.

"It's hard to score when you're turning the ball over that much," Pistons coach Monty Williams said. "And we turned it over for points. We haven't done that in a while, so that was different. I didn't think we had execution and poise tonight. There were times when we were down one or two points and it felt like we were down 20, just because we knew we weren't playing the way we had been playing."

Bojan Bogdanovic led the Pistons with 30 points, three rebounds and three assists. Cade Cunningham, who made his return to the lineup for the first time since Jan. 7 after a left knee strain, totaled 20 points, four rebounds and 12 assists. Isaiah Stewart added 11 points and seven rebounds.

Williams said his team was outworked by the Wizards, which was apparent by Washington's dominance in fast-break points, offensive rebounds and ability to force turnovers. Cunningham agreed with his coach's comments after the game.

"They had 16 offensive rebounds," Cunningham said. "We killed them on the glass in the last game. They definitely outworked us tonight. Transition, we just gave up way too many wide open layups. We didn't get back. Part of that is due to live-ball turnovers. I had way too many turnovers and it's hard to get back on things like that. I'd say they outworked us."

Kuzma led the Wizards with 30 points, six rebounds and four assists. Poole added 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting. Former Pistons forwards Marvin Bagley III and Isaiah Livers made their return to Little Caesars Arena for the first time since they were traded for Mike Muscala and Danilo Gallinari on Jan. 14. Livers did not play, but Bagley totaled 13 points and eight rebounds against his old team.

The Pistons took care of business with a victory over Charlotte, but couldn't capitalize on the moment against Washington. It's a disappointing situation, because they'll face a more difficult test in less than 24 hours when they host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday. The game will tip off at 2 p.m. It was rescheduled from its previous time of 6 p.m, which helps fans watch the Pistons and the NFC Championship game between the Lions and San Francisco 49ers.

Fans chanted "Jared Goff" in the waning seconds of the loss, a sign that they were ready to watch their quarterback try to lead the Lions to their first Super Bowl appearance.

Here is a couple of observations from Saturday's loss to the Wizards:

Cunningham returns, but struggles to take care of the ball

For the first time this season, the Pistons entered a game with a clean injury report due to the return of Cunningham. It was the first chance to evaluate the team as a collective. The first play in Saturday's matinee against the Wizards was a welcome sight for Pistons fans as Cunningham initiated a pick-and-roll with Duren and found him for a perfectly-executed alley-oop. A couple of plays later, he showed no sign of soreness in his left leg as he exploded for a one-handed slam over Wizards center Daniel Gafford. Cunningham found his teammates often, which was apparent from his 12 assists, but the third-year guard was rusty with the ball, which was apparent from his game-high seven turnovers.

Ivey facilitates less

Jaden Ivey had another unusual game on Saturday. He finished with just 10 points and four rebounds with three turnovers and three fouls. He was subbed out of the game after his initial six-minute stint in the first quarter to allow the team's trainers to tend to his left leg, which he grabbed while on the bench. He returned, but wasn't quite his usual self. He lacked a sense of aggressiveness and remained in the corners. It's uncertain if that was because of the adjustment of playing alongside Cunningham again. While Cunningham was out with the knee strain, Ivey excelled as the team's primary playmaker. He received fewer opportunities to facilitate the offense on Saturday. The handling of how Ivey is used will be something to keep an eye on for the foreseeable future as the Pistons get accustomed to having Cunningham back in the lineup.

mcurtis@detroitnews.com

@MikeACurtis2