Blake Griffin finished on one leg. And when he finally walked off the court Monday night, the noisy collection of playoff-starved Pistons fans inside Little Caesars Arena showed their appreciation, rising one after another — on two feet — to give him a standing ovation.
“Blake played his heart out,” head coach Dwane Casey said later, using what was left of his raspy voice to join the chorus. “He gave everything he could to our team.”
A moment later, Casey added, “So we owe him a lot.”
And if there’s a single takeaway from this fitful season, that should be it.