Behind a strong offensive night from guard Frank Jackson, on a two-way contract, the Detroit Pistons got their second consecutive win.
Jackson scored 23 points Friday and hit all five of his 3-point attempts, and the Pistons (12-29) defeated the Houston Rockets, 113-100. Jackson logged his second start in a row and is making the most of his opportunity.
Saddiq Bey scored 20 points and grabbed six rebounds, and Jerami Grant added 18 points. John Wall led the Rockets with 21 points and ex-Piston Christian Wood had a double-double.
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Frank Jackson delivers season-best performance
Both of Detroit’s two-way players have received opportunities this season, but they were harder to come by for Jackson. Unlike Saben Lee, Jackson is better suited as a shooting guard. And the Pistons are much deeper there than at point guard, with Killian Hayes still a few weeks away from returning.
With Wayne Ellington, Rodney McGruder and Hamidou Diallo all nursing injuries this week, Jackson finally broke into the starting lineup, making his first start Wednesday against the Raptors. Friday was easily his best performance.
Jackson’s perfect performance from beyond the arc was a major accomplishment, considering his outside shooting has been a weakness in the NBA. He immediately launched his fourth 3-pointer midway through the third quarter without bringing the ball down first, a sign of a confident, comfortable shooter. He’s 7-for-12 from 3 this week, after going 4-for-13 in his first nine games of the season.
It remains to be seen how far Jackson’s momentum carries him. It’s unclear when Diallo will return, but the third-year guard was in the midst of his best season as a pro with the Oklahoma City Thunder this season before suffering a groin injury and being traded. Ellington and McGruder will also eventually return, but the former appears to be a strong trade candidate going into the March 25 deadline. Regardless of how the rotation plays out from here, Jackson is showing that he belongs.
Wood delivers familiar performance
Entering the offseason, Wood was one of the Pistons’ top targets in free agency after the big man’s breakout season in Detroit. Ultimately, Grant was a bigger priority for Detroit, and Wood landed with the Rockets on a three-year, $41 million deal.
After missing 17 games with a sprained ankle, Friday was Wood’s second game back. He showcased his wide offensive repertoire and finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 8-for-14 overall.
Casey experiments with two-point guard rotation
Pistons coach Dwane Casey likes playing multiple point guards together. He did it while coaching the Toronto Raptors, and he did it at the start of this season when he started Hayes and Delon Wright.
He’s done it twice this week, playing Lee and Delon Wright together on Monday and Lee and Dennis Smith Jr. together during the first half against the Rockets. Before the game, Casey said he’ll run more two-point guard lineups after Hayes returns to maximize everyone’s minute load.
“We will try to look at that in multiple situations, just to make sure we utilize those guys and get them enough minutes, experience together,” Casey said. “We’re still evaluating Dennis, make sure he gets a fair shot and opportunity, as well as Delon, to see what combinations work and don’t work. I really think that the way we want to play, the skillset that Killian has, Delon has and Dennis has can all mesh together with different combinations. Just want to see it happen.”
Contact Omari Sankofa II at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @omarisankofa. Read more on the Detroit Pistons and sign up for our Pistons newsletter.
