Pistons (13-67) clinch worst record in franchise history in home finale

It's official: The 2023-24 Detroit Pistons are the worst team in franchise history.

The Pistons guaranteed they would have the worst record of any team on Thursday's fan appreciation night at Little Caesars Arena — the final home game of the year — in a contest where the Pistons served up turnovers like a drive-thru window before falling handily to the Chicago Bulls, 127-105.

With two games remaining, the Pistons (13-67) can no longer finish better than the team that went 16-66 in 1979-80.

The Pistons coughed the ball up 20 times — just three short of a season-high 23 — leading to 36 points off turnovers for the Bulls (38-42) as DeMar DeRozan (39 points, four rebounds and seven assists) and Nikola Vucevic (27 points, 11 rebounds) grabbed Detroit by the horns in the second half to pummel the Pistons handily while Detroit guard Cade Cunningham (left knee management) missed his fifth straight game.

"They just had so many more possessions and we were playing in transition pretty much the whole night, just off the turnovers alone," Pistons head coach Monty Williams said. "It's something I've not been able to help our guys with enough as far as playing in the crowd, playing in passing lanes, and then the points off turnovers.

"Thirty-six points off turnovers is hard to — you gotta do something extraordinary to overcome that and we just didn't do a good job tonight."

BOX SCORE: Bulls 127, Pistons 105

Jalen Duren had 20 points and 11 rebounds, Marcus Sasser added 20 points and Jaden Ivey had 16 with six assists. Sasser, a rookie, said he's continued to grow more comfortable in the league throughout the last year.

"It's really like a learning curve," Sasser said. "There's been new (players) in and out, but I feel like that's just part of the NBA...really, from a point-guard position, I just feel like the more reps I get, practice and in the game, I just continue to get comfortable."

Eighteen of DeRozan's 39 points for Chicago came in the third quarter.

"He's added the 3-ball to his game so you're closing out to a guy that can put it down and get to a spot, shoot the mid-range," Williams said. "I thought our guys were kind of in between on their closeouts, I thought we shifted off of him too far tonight."

Chimezie Metu got the Pistons started on a high note from deep, draining a pair of 3-pointers to begin the game. After a bucket from Duren, Sasser and Ivey hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to give Detroit a 14-12 lead out of the gate.

The Bulls hit four 3-pointers to close the quarter while the Pistons racked up six first-quarter turnovers — leading to 10 points off turnovers for Chicago — but Detroit managed to hang in after a pair of triples from Jared Rhoden that made it 31-30 entering the second.

The Pistons again turned it over twice to open the second quarter as the Bulls went on an 13-6 run to take a 44-36 lead before Sasser cut the deficit back to five with a 3-pointer. Chicago kept trying to extend its lead but found its biggest shots being matched by the Pistons, including a team-high 13 first-half points from Marcus Sasser.

Sasser brought the Pistons back within four, 59-55, after stealing a pass and going the other way for a layup. The Bulls came right back, though, and got Pistons coach Monty Williams to unsuccessfully use his challenge after a foul was called on Duren as he contested a drive from Bulls guard Javonte Green.

The Bulls dominated inside during the first half, scoring 34 points in the paint during the first two quarters to head into halftime with a 64-55 lead. The Pistons' 12 turnovers at halftime were on pace to set a season high (23 in the first win of the season on Oct. 27).

The Pistons turned it over three more times in the first four minutes of the quarter as Chicago extended its lead to 13 just 1:56 into the half. After the Bulls made it 76-63, Vucevic and DeRozan took over. The pair totaled all of Chicago's next 18 points as the Bulls took a commanding 99-80 lead into the fourth quarter that was never relinquished.

Each of the last five Pistons seasons have each fallen among the 10 worst seasons in franchise history. The season continues Friday night in Dallas against the Mavericks (50-30), which have won nine of the last 10.

The Pistons have a 2.0-game lead on the Washington Wizards (15-65) for the best NBA Draft Lottery odds.

nbianchi@detroitnews.com

@nolanbianchi