Injury-Riddled Spurs Lose 11th Straight to Pistons in Double OT
Losers of 10 consecutive games heading into Friday's contest, the San Antonio Spurs desperately needed a victory. On the road, with the odds stacked against them, the Spurs made it interesting, but ultimately fell to the Detroit Pistons in double overtime, 138-131.
In a trade deadline that saw 11 total swaps, the Spurs' roster felt the brunt of it as they shipped out three veterans that left significant holes in the rotation. Aside from the traded veterans, injuries wouldn't let up either, as seven players missed Friday night's action.
The Spurs led the Pistons by as much as 16 points. However, Detroit's anemic 29-percent field-goal shooting from the first quarter couldn't last all night. The second quarter saw the Spurs lose their lead following a 25-7 run from Detroit, but they eventually recaptured a 54-53 edge going into halftime.
Spurs center Zach Collins and rookie guard Malaki Branham combined for 20 points after two quarters, and newly-acquired guard Devonte' Graham took over the game in the second half, resuscitating the Spurs' chances at victory.
The Spurs locked up Bogdanovic on the final play in regulation to force overtime. Unfortunately for the hard-working Spurs, the Pistons did enough to walk away with the victory.
Graham led the Spurs with 31 points on 6-16 line from deep and a clutch 7-7 free throw shooting line. Jalen Duran and Bojan Bogdanovic scored a combined 62 points for the Pistons.
The Spurs don't have much rest as they travel to Atlanta after the game, facing the Hawks on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CT.
With the playoffs out of the Spurs' horizon, player growth is the only thing to expect for the duration of the season. Graham made a splash in his first game with San Antonio, earning minutes in the process.
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