Revamped Pistons fall short against Magic

Detroit — A lot has changed in the last 20 days since the Pistons' last game at Little Caesars Arena.

A roster overhaul at the trade deadline meant seven new faces joined the Pistons' bench for Saturday's contest against the Orlando Magic.

However, one of the longest-tenured players on the young Pistons roster stood out among any player on the floor in the second half. Cade Cunningham connected on three 3-pointers in the third quarter to spark a comeback attempt for Detroit, including the tying layup with 12.4 seconds left.

However, another former No. 1 overall pick stole the show as Paolo Banchero nailed the winning shot over the outstretched arms of Jalen Duren with 0.8 seconds left to give the Magic a 112-109 win over the Pistons. Banchero, who finished with a team-high 15 points and five rebounds, was fouled in the process and knocked down the free throw to seal the victory.

Williams said there was a miscue on the switch, which resulted in Duren being the primary defender on Banchero.

"(Orlando) set the screen where you couldn't do anything but switch and we were just trying to get a double(team) over there to get the ball out of his hands, especially late. That's on me to put new guys in that situation. That's a tough one. I can't blame anybody for that situation. That's on me to make sure everyone knows what we're doing.

"(Banchero) hits the (shot). The foul was questionable and he throws it up in the air and it falls in the basket. What are you gonna do? If you can force that kind of shot in an end of game situation, you take it. (Duren's) beating himself up and he shouldn't. He was trying to make the play."

It was the second of three meetings against Orlando within a month's time. Cunningham scored a game-high 26 points with seven rebounds and four assists. Simone Fontecchio added 17 points, three rebounds and five assists.

Detroit trailed by five with four minutes left when Duren grabbed an offensive rebound to bring his team within three points. The sophomore big man also knocked down a pair of free throws to bring the Pistons within one, but Franz Wagner connected on a layup and split a pair of free throws after a poorly-timed turnover by Duren.

After a series of dribbles, Cunningham drilled a fadeaway from the mid-range to bring the Pistons within two with 1:20 left. He tried to find Duren for a lob on the next possession but the 6-foot-10 center couldn't hold onto the ball. Fans inside the arena erupted once Cunningham was called for his fourth foul with 17 seconds left. Banchero forced the contact, and ultimately missed both free throws to give the Pistons another chance to tie or win the game.

The Pistons played a more competitive game than their last three — all losses by at least 14 points — but the outcome remained the same. It was Detroit's fifth consecutive loss and it dropped to 8-48.

BOX SCORE: Magic 112, Pistons 109

Quentin Grimes, who was acquired in a trade with the New York Knicks at the deadline, made his Pistons debut on Monday. It was his first game since Jan. 30 after being sidelined for nearly a month due to a right knee sprain. He entered at the 6:23 mark of the first quarter as the first player off the bench.

His first basket as a Piston occurred early in the second quarter when he stole the ball from Joe Ingles, earning himself an easy runway to the lane for a breakaway dunk. He struggled offensively, especially from the perimeter, but played solid defense and finished with five points and four assists in 26 minutes off the bench. Pistons coach Monty Williams warned that he wouldn't play a full complement of minutes, but Grimes finished with the fourth-most in the 10-man rotation.

“I think Quentin's going to be better and better as he gets his legs underneath him," Williams said. "It's hard to say anything negative about your guys when you play that hard. ... The tenacity and getting over screens and staying in front of the ball. In real time it’s a bit different. His shot is big time and it’s going to come as he gets his cardio and rhythm."

Pistons rookie Ausar Thompson struggled with foul trouble with four personal fouls, but he finished with eight points and two rebounds. Pistons rookie guard Marcus Sasser did not play due to right knee soreness. Sasser suffered the injury in Friday's loss to the Indiana Pacers. Malachi Flynn received the bulk of the backup point guard duties and had a solid outing with eight points and three assists.

Wagner tied his career high of 38 points and made a career-high 17 field goals on Feb. 4 against Detroit, but he was limited to 14 points with five rebounds and three assists on Saturday.

Magic guard Markelle Fultz — the No. 1 overall pick from 2019 — did not play due to left knee injury maintenance. He was kept out of the game because Orlando travels to Atlanta to face the Hawks on Sunday in the second night of a back-to-back.

Saturday's contest marked the second of a three-game suspension for Pistons forward Isaiah Stewart. He will also miss Monday's road game against the Knicks before he's eligible to return at Chicago on Tuesday. Monday's game against New York will be Grimes' return to Madison Square Garden and a formal reunion for the Pistons. The team will play against veterans Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks for the first time since they were traded on Feb. 8.

mcurtis@detroitnews.com

@MikeACurtis2