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Blake Griffin of the Detroit Pistons passes the ball away from Allen Crabbe of the Brooklyn Nets (33 years old) in the first period.(Photo: Frank Franklin II, AP)
New York – Spencer Dinwiddie does not have any love for the Pistons. Almost every time he faces his old team, he plays a remarkable game.
Add another to the list.
Dinwiddie scored 3 points in the final seconds of regulation and added the starting pointer with 7.1 seconds to overtime, bringing the Nets to a thrilling 120-119 win over the Pistons on Wednesday night at Barclays Center.
In the last possession, Blake Griffin missed a jumper and the Pistons found themselves with their third consecutive loss.
This is the fifth game of the Pistons this season with three points or less; they won the first three and lost the last two, consecutive nights.
"You live by the sword and you die by the sword. The first games were tight and we won – and now we lose them, "said coach Dwane Casey. "It's about ourselves, everyone in the locker room."
BOX SCORE: Nets 120, Pistons 119, OT
This is the third consecutive loss for the Pistons, who have dropped to the Celtics twice in a row.
Andre Drummond had his third 20-20 game this season – and second against the Nets – with 24 points and 23 rebounds. Griffin added 25 points, nine rebounds and four assists.
Reggie Jackson finished with 21 points and Stanley Johnson six points and 12 best career rebounds.
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There seems to have been a communication problem with a switch and Andre Drummond ended up guarding Dinwiddie, who defeated Drummond in a game lost in a game at Little Caesars Arena in January.
This time, Drummond allowed a long three-pointer.
"This move to Spencer's, I think I should have gotten up a bit more on him," Drummond said. "I made him feel comfortable and he took a pace and stepped back and pulled the 3 and made it."
And delivered Dinwiddie – again.
"When I shot, I was not thinking about anything except" I'm going to get there, "said Dinwiddie, who finished with 25 points in 32 minutes.
Griffin finished with 25 points and nine rebounds and Drummond played his third 20-20 game this season – and second against the Nets – with 24 points and 23 rebounds. Reggie Jackson finished with 21 points and Stanley Johnson six points and 12 best career rebounds.
The Pistons (4-3) could not overcome their small mistakes and, as they did during Tuesday's defeat in Boston, they paid the price.
"Small errors in the stretch – mostly defensive," Griffin said. "On these little things, they come back to bite you and every game has been decided by such a small margin – we have to be better."
Griffin scored the last seven points of the Pistons, including a workout with 53.6 seconds for a 119-117 lead, and gave a charge to Dinwiddie. The Pistons could not capitalize, opening the way to Din-Widdie's three-pointer.
The Pistons fell by 12 points in the first quarter of the first game of the season against the Nets (3-5) and this time they were led from 15 minutes to three minutes of the first period. They wiped out the deficit in the second quarter, with a 21-2 push.
In the fourth quarter, the Pistons led by 100-94, with 4:40 left, but Jarrett Allen (14 points and nine rebounds) split a pair of free throws and got a dunk in the next possession. Griffin responded with a 3-pointer to bring back to seven, but Dinwiddie was fouled after making a 3-pointer. He scored the free kick for the four-point game and the lead was reduced to 103-100.
Allen made one of two free throws and Drummond added a helping hand. Dinwiddie responded with another 3-pointer and Allen followed with a game of three points to push the Nets in a 107-105 lead.
Griffin responded to the bell again, hitting a long 3-pointer to fend off the Pistons a notch with a minimum of 1:19 in regulation. Jackson added a pair of free throws with 22.6 seconds remaining, for a cushion of 110-107.
Dinwiddie responded with a deep 3 points with 20 seconds remaining, for the tie basket, sending the game in overtime.
Joe Harris scored 23 points and Caris LeVert 19 points, six rebounds and six assists for the Nets.
Here are some other observations of Wednesday's victory over the Nets:
■ Reggie Bullock suffered a sprained left ankle in the first trimester and was restricted to the rest of the first period after going to the locker room for examination. He came back in the game for a short stint but finished without scoring in nine minutes.
Casey did not get an update on Bullock's status, but the Pistons did not play until Saturday in Philadelphia. Without Bullock, the Pistons participated in smaller queues, with Ish Smith and Jose Calderon together, as well as shooters around them.
The Pistons are already without Luke Kennard (sprained on the shoulder) and without their two best 3 point shooters, still have trouble hitting from the outside. Casey sometimes preferred to play smaller, but his injuries forced him to the hand.
■ In the absence of Bullock, Casey decided to join Bruce Brown. The rookie came with nine points in 29 minutes. He was 3 of 9 on the field, but was active on the edge and reached the free throw line. When Brown examined a corner pointer, he turned it over to get his first career pointer. Brown, a second-round pick, not only made his entry into the rotation, he also plays precious minutes, especially from the second half after the return of Bullock.
■ The Pistons' second unit struggled to throw the ball, but it was the spark it needed in the 21-2 run that made up for the deficit. Zaza Pachulia and Glenn Robinson III (nine points apiece) led the charge and Jose Calderon added eight points, taking part of the score after Bullock was out.
■ Drummond surpassed Dennis Rodman for the fourth time ever in rebounding franchise history. It was again a threat to the boards, but they could not capitalize even with a Nets rebound, 55-5.
Twitter: @detnewsRodBeard
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