Zach LaVine, Bulls rally from 25-point deficit to stun Pistons despite Jerami Grant's career game
Jerami Grant and Zach LaVine matched each other basket for basket down the stretch in the fourth quarter Wednesday, but it was two Chicago Bulls role players who sank crucial corner 3-pointers to fend off the Detroit Pistons.
The Pistons built a 25-point lead by the 2:36 mark of the second quarter but fell apart in the second half. The Bulls spoiled Grant's career-high 43 points to pull off a comeback 105-102 win at United Center.
Coby White and rookie Patrick Williams hit back-to-back 3s with 1:01 and 29 seconds left, respectively, to prevent the Pistons from getting a chance to retake the lead. Delon Wright missed the game-tying 3 at the buzzer from straight on, hitting the front rim.
"As professionals you hope they go to the locker room, they regroup, they realize there's going to be some changes made," said Bulls coach Billy Donovan, who benched some of his young players to start the second half. "When my number's called, I have to be ready and prepared, and I thought those guys did that."
Grant started and finished the night strong, shooting 15-for-25 overall, 4-for-9 from 3-point range and 9-for-9 at the free throw line.
LaVine led the Bulls (12-15) with 37 points to snap a two-game winning streak for Detroit, which retains the NBA's second-worst record at 8-20.
"I think we could've done a better job in the third quarter and I thought we gave up the lead," Grant said. "Down the stretch, we missed some shots that we normally make. We gave up the game."
The game wasn't scheduled until Tuesday after both teams had contests postponed, leaving an open day for the Central Division foes. This was the first of a five-game road trip for the Pistons, who visit Memphis on Friday, play in Orlando for two, then visit New Orleans.
Grant has been Detroit's most reliable player this season, and started the year off on fire. He reached the 20-point threshold in 20 of his first 24 games, and was both consistent and efficient night-in and out.
He was due for a comedown, and it finally hit this past week. Entering Wednesday, he averaged just 13.0 points while shooting 27.1% overall in his last three games. Detroit’s unexpected two-day layoff appears to have been beneficial for him because he bounced back against the Bulls
Grant had a strong first quarter, scoring 13 points on 5-of-7 overall shooting and 3-of-3 from 3 to help the Pistons build an early eight-point lead. Even when the Pistons went cold in the second half, Grant kept them afloat. He scored six of Detroit’s 12 points in the third quarter — a quarter that saw a double-digit lead trimmed to three — and several timely buckets in the fourth quarter as Chicago threatened to run away with the game.
He clinched his career night with a strong fourth quarter, scoring 19 points and making six of his eight attempts.
Contributing: Associated Press