(Photo: Aaron Gash, Associated Press)
Auburn Hills — The lopsided loss in Game 1 sent a clear message to the Pistons: Play better, or it’s going to be an embarrassing and long first-round playoff series.
Giannis Antetokounmpo played at an All-Star level. Brook Lopez hit from the outside. Even the Bucks’ reserve players, including Pat Connaughton and George Hill, had an immediate impact on the game.
The cliché is that the biggest adjustments occur between Games 1 and 2, so the Pistons and coach Dwane Casey have their work cut out for themselves in trying to make the second game — and the remainder of the series — more competitive.