Indianapolis — For a while, it looked like the Pistons’ bench was going to bail them out of a slow start again. They opened with poor shooting in the first quarter and the reserves helped keep them in it.
In the third quarter, the Pistons rallied to take their only lead of the game — for 22 seconds — before the defense wilted. The result was a 115-98 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
It’s a step back for the Pistons, who tied the Chicago Bulls for seventh place on Monday and could have tied the Pacers for sixth, with a win.