| Detroit Free Press
Derrick Rose of the Detroit Pistons on the big night of Giannis Antetokounmpo
Derrick Rose spoke on January 4, 2021, after his 24-point performance and 8 assists against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Detroit Pistons
The odds were against the Detroit Pistons on Monday. They were missing two games at Blake Griffin and Josh Jackson. They were playing on the second night of a consecutive home lap. And they were playing against Milwaukee Bucks, the best team in the Eastern Conference last season.
The Pistons lost to Bucks 125-115, but received strong performances from Jerami Grant (24 points, three blocks) and Derrick Rose (24 points off the bench), and reduced a deficit from 18 points to eight in the last three minutes of the night.
The Pistons (1-6) lost 12 straight to the Bucks, including the postseason, with their last win taking place on February 28, 2018.
[ Why the Detroit Pistons are already playing catch-up this season ]
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 30 points in the first half and finished with 43 for the Bucks (4-3).
Killian Hayes hurts his right hip and leaves the game
The biggest story in Monday’s game is Hayes’ right hip injury. It is possible that, similar to the ankle injury last Tuesday, Hayes is doing well and wasting minimal time, if any. But non-contact injuries are always worrying and will be something to be monitored.
Less than two minutes into the second half, Hayes turned the ball and lost his balance as he rushed to the defense to challenge Jrue Holiday’s attempted layup. Before hitting the floor, he shuddered in pain and started grabbing the right hip area. The Pistons later announced that he would not return to the game.
“He will have an MRI tomorrow and we will find out tomorrow,” said Dwane Casey after the game. “They thought it was a hip flexor, but they weren’t sure.”
Hayes ended the game with seven points, an assist and three turns. He showed flashes of growing confidence as he hit the ball. He landed a 3-point catch-and-shoot and two floats on the track. He has reached his floater frequently this season, but has not been able to hit him consistently.
His first half provided a plan for him to build when he returns.
Rose has best performance of the season
With Hayes missing most of the second half, Rose played her best game of the year. He scored 24 points from 9 of 18 shots and eight assists, both records of the season.
Rose had a slow start to the season, but he is improving. Two of his best performances came in the last three games. It was a good typical Derrick Rose game that featured some difficult midfielder and rim finishes. He was one of the main reasons why the Pistons managed to stay within attack distance for much of the night, despite being under-staffed and playing the second night in a row.
Grant starts badly
Entering Monday, Grant averaged 22.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.2 blocks per game. National opinion was divided, to say the least, about Troy Weaver’s decision to sign a three-year, $ 60 million contract with Grant after a strong season as a role player at the Denver Nuggets.
He’s living up to the challenge and more. He scored at least 20 points for the sixth consecutive game on Monday and is proving he can thrive in the lead.
Grant had an unstable start against the Bucks, receiving two fouls and finishing the game at the 10:10 mark in the first quarter. He returned to the game at the start of the second half and continued where he left off on Sunday.
Please contact Omari Sankofa II at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @omarisankofa. The Free Press started a new digital signature model.