Shorthanded Pistons look disjointed in 114-101 loss to Pelicans

Detroit — The Pistons' first possession of Sunday's matinee against the New Orleans Pelicans foreshadowed an excruciating basketball experience for fans at Little Caesars Arena.

A brand-new starting lineup began the game for Pistons coach Monty Williams. It was the 33rd starting lineup combination of the season and for most of the game, it looked like a group who'd never played together before.

Detroit won the opening tip and the ball touched the hands of all five players, but the group couldn't execute a decent play before the shot clock expired — the first of nine turnovers in the first quarter. The Pistons' new starting lineup of Jaden Ivey, Marcus Sasser, Troy Brown Jr., Chimezie Metu and James Wiseman lacked the adequate spacing to matchup with the playoff-seeking Pelicans, which led to a 114-101 loss on Sunday afternoon.

BOX SCORE: Pelicans 114, Pistons 101

The Pistons (12-59) scored a season-low 10 points in the first quarter. Pistons guard Cade Cunningham was a late scratch due to left knee injury management. The third-year guard went through his pregame routine, but was likely held out of Sunday's game out of precaution because it was the front end of a back-to-back that concludes Monday in New York.

“We just turned it over in the first quarter," Williams said. "The ball wasn’t even sticky, we just played in the crowd. We moved it, but they’re just so big that when you dribble downhill with smaller guards and you don’t have a shot or the pocket pass, you just get swallowed up, and we just turned it over so much in the first quarter.

"It was a bit of a different game with respect to the competition level. Our guys believed that they could play on the court with those guys. We gave ourselves a chance to compete. I get where we are, but I wouldn't be in this position if I gave into any type of circumstances.”

Pelicans forward Zion Williamson dominated the Pistons' thin frontcourt and imposed his will on the inside with a game-high 36 points, seven rebounds and six assists. He bullied his way into the paint on several occasions, which ranged from alley-oops, acrobatic layups and emphatic putback dunks. His aggressiveness led to double-digit trips to the free-throw line. He only missed one of his 14 field goals and he made 10 of his 14 free-throw attempts.

Without Jalen Duren, who missed his second consecutive game due to lower back spasms, Williamson had his way in the 36 minutes he spent on the court.

While Williamson dominated the Pistons inside of the paint, New Orleans guard C.J. McCollum proved lethal from beyond the arc. The veteran guard tallied 23 points and six assists while making five-of-nine attempts from the 3-point line.

Without Cunningham, Metu, the Pistons' recent 10-day signee, shouldered the scoring load with 17 points and eight rebounds in his first start for the Pistons. Malachi Flynn had 17 points, four rebounds and four assists off the bench. Ivey finished with 16 points and four assists, but also accounted for the bulk of Detroit's 17 turnovers with four giveaways. James Wiseman finished with a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds.

“It’s a matter of picking your spots," Metu said of his adjustment to a new team. "The first day, I felt like I was a little too antsy and tried to get my game off a little bit and it was kind of hurting me a little bit, especially since I hadn’t played in over a month. Trying to get my legs under me while at the same time adjusting and playing with a new team. As time has gone on, I’ve seen where I can attack more and know what kind of spacing coaches want.”

Pistons two-way guard Buddy Boeheim had his best game as a professional with a career-high 13 points with three rebounds and three assists off the bench. He made four of his eight attempts, which included a 3-of-7 mark from beyond the arc.

"It's the funniest thing, man. Head coaches from teams, you think they don't know who Buddy Boeheim is," Williams said. "As soon as he comes into the game and they start screaming out, 'Shooter! Shooter!' He's probably one of the few G League guys who's stepped on the floor and big time NBA players are on him like you know what. That's a testament to his reputation, but also a testament to his work ethic."

Detroit, desperately looking to snap a six-game losing streak, will embark on a three-game road trip that has an awkward route of New York, Minnesota and Washington, D.C up next.

Pistons at Knicks

Tipoff: 7:30 p.m. Monday, Madison Square Garden, New York

TV/radio: BSD/97.1

Outlook: The Pistons will look to snap a six-game losing streak against the Knicks, which marks the beginning of a three-game road trip. New York, winner of seven of its last 10 games, is coming off a 105-93 win over the Brooklyn Nets. The Pistons are ailing with injuries, but the Knicks are slightly healthier with only three players on the injury report. Julius Randle (dislocated right shoulder), O.G. Anunoby (right elbow injury management) and Mitchell Robinson (left ankle surgery) will not play in Monday's game due to injury.

mcurtis@detroitnews.com

@MikeACurtis2