Desmond Bane (49), Grizzlies send Pistons to 18th straight loss

Field Level Media|published: Wed 6th December, 21:36 2023

Dec 6, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard John Konchar (46) strips the ball from Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) in the first half at Little Caesars Arena. credits: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Desmond Bane poured in a career-high 49 points as the visiting Memphis Grizzlies handed the Detroit Pistons an 18th consecutive loss, 116-102 on Wednesday.

His previous best was 38 points against the Brooklyn Nets on Oct. 24, 2022. On Wednesday, Bane made 19 of 31 field-goal attempts, 4 of 8 from 3-point range and all seven of his free throws. He added eight assists and six rebounds.

Jaren Jackson Jr. had 24 points and Jaylen Nowell chipped in 12 points for Memphis, which won for the third time in four games.

Bojan Bogdanovic had 22 points and seven assists for the Pistons, whose skid is an ongoing single-season franchise record. Jalen Duren contributed 17 points and 11 rebounds before injuring his ankle late in the fourth quarter.

Cade Cunningham had 16 points and 10 assists for Detroit, and Killian Hayes scored 12 points.

The Pistons led 56-52 at halftime. Bogdanovic led the way with 11 points and seven assists, and Jaden Ivey provided a second-quarter spark with nine points and two assists.

Jackson and Bane had 17 points apiece for Memphis before the break. Neither side had more than a seven-point advantage during the half.

Detroit maintained the slim lead in the early minutes of the third quarter. Duren scored seven points in the first three minutes of the half.

Bogdanovic made a mid-range shot and a 3-pointer in an 18-second span to give the Pistons a 69-61 advantage.

Bane answered with a personal seven-point run to pull the Grizzlies within a point. His three-point play with 4:32 left in the quarter tied it at 71. A Bane 3-pointer just over a minute later gave Memphis a 76-75 advantage.

The Pistons regained the lead at 84-82 by the end of the quarter.

It didn't last long. Detroit went scoreless for nearly the first four minutes of the fourth as Memphis took a 90-84 lead. John Konchar had a 3-pointer and an assist while Nowell added a basket and an assist in that stretch. When Konchar set up Santi Aldama for a 3-pointer, the Grizzlies were up 96-86 with 6:49 remaining.

Bane sank two free throws with 5:15 left to make it 101-88. He finished with a flourish, scoring 11 points in the last three minutes.

—Field Level Media

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