Field Level Media
Jan 20, 2022
Cory Joseph capped a wild comeback by sinking a tiebreaking jumper with 26.5 seconds remaining as the Detroit Pistons overcame a 10-point deficit in the final 2:48 for a 133-131 victory over the host Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night.
Saddiq Bey poured in 30 points and Kelly Olynyk, playing for the first time since Nov. 10, chipped in with 22 for the Pistons. Detroit's energetic finish belied a team on a two-game losing streak playing on the road for a second night in a row.
Sacramento's Terence Davis exploded for a career-high 35 points but missed a potential go-ahead 3-pointer with 16.4 seconds remaining as the Kings dropped their second straight.
Davis, a third-year pro whose previous high had been 31 on Feb. 2, 2020, for the Toronto Raptors against the Chicago Bulls, seemed to take control of the game with four 3-point hoops in a span of 5:26 of the fourth quarter. The fourth trey in that sequence gave the Kings a 130-120 lead with 3:03 to play.
Olynyk and Bey then combined for all the Pistons scoring in an 11-1 flurry, with a three-point play by Bey tying the game at 131-all with 1:01 to play.
Joseph's tiebreaking hoop came after a miss by Sacramento's De'Aaron Fox, and the Pistons survived not only Davis' subsequent 3-point miss but also an offline Fox buzzer-beating jumper that could have produced overtime.
Olynyk, who had missed 33 straight games with a sprained left knee, complemented his 22 points with a team-high nine rebounds. Joseph finished with 19 points and a game-high nine assists.
Rodney McGruder added 15 points and Cade Cunningham 13 for the Pistons, who were outshot 52.4 percent to 50.5 percent.
With Bey connecting on 5 of 9 from long distance, the Pistons outscored the hosts 45-36 on 3-pointers.
Fox went for 27 points and a team-high eight assists, and Harrison Barnes had 20 points for the Kings, who led by as many as 12 points in the third quarter.
Marvin Bagley III had 17 points and a team-high nine rebounds, Davion Mitchell scored 13 and Richaun Holmes contributed 10 points for Sacramento.
--Field Level Media