Detroit — If things weren’t tough enough Saturday for the Pistons’ starting unit without Blake Griffin, things got a little tougher without point guard Reggie Jackson, who was sidelined because of lower-back tightness.
The Pistons felt the absence at the start of the game, struggling to find a rhythm with Tim Frazier handling the ball. The reserves, led by Luke Kennard and Derrick Rose, made up for the missing scoring punch.
The reserves chipped in 69 points, erasing a nine-point deficit in the first quarter and pushing out to a double-digit lead in the second quarter, on the way to a 117-111 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night at Little Caesars Arena.