As the second leg of a difficult four-game road trip came to an end, the Detroit Pistons lost 154-148 in overtime against the Utah Jazz despite controlling the game for the entirety of regulation. Key players like Lauri Markkanen, Bojan Bogdanovic, Cade Cunningham, and Alec Burks all put up excellent efforts, but the Pistons’ failure to hit big shots in overtime proved costly.
With 1:44 remaining in overtime, Jordan Clarkson, who leads all scorers with 36 points, made the game-winning 3-pointer to give Utah a seven-point advantage. After shooting an astounding 56.8% in regulation, the Pistons could only muster a 2-for-9 effort in the extra time. Detroit dominated the first half and continued to lead for eighteen minutes and seventeen seconds in the second half.
Cunningham’s last-second 3-pointer in overtime pulled the Pistons to within three, but Utah was awarded a free throw and possession when defensive substitute Killian Hayes fouled Collin Sexton prior to Utah inbounded the ball. This put a stop to Detroit’s attempts to force a second overtime.
Cunningham (31 points, 12 assists), Alec Burks (27 points, 23 in the second half), Jalen Duren (17 points, 10 rebounds), and Bogdanovic (36 points, 8-for-15 from 3) all made significant contributions for the Pistons. Nevertheless, in the last minutes of regulation, the squad lost an opportunity to win the game.
