Bulls humiliated in Detroit by undermanned Pistons

DETROIT — Calling this game against the Pistons embarrassing would be an understatement.

How about humiliating, shameful, mortifying? Getting warmer.

“The way we lost just can’t happen,” Bulls guard Kevin Huerter said.

No, it can’t, but it did.

The Pistons were without starters Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson and Cade Cunningham — who just so happened to be coming off a triple-double in which he scored 46 points on 45 shots, grabbed 12 rebounds and had 11 assists — and still beat the Bulls 124-113.

The JV didn’t just beat the varsity; they humbled it Wednesday.

“We talked about [facing an undermanned opponent] before the game,” Huerter said. “This happens all the time in the NBA. Guys are out, teams relax, their guys that don’t get consistent minutes are chomping at the bit to get in. They came out at the jump, kicked us in the teeth, and we didn’t really respond until the fourth. Lackadaisical all night.”

And really for the first time this season.

The Bulls (6-5) have lost four in a row, but the games against the Bucks, Cavaliers and Spurs — their last three opponents — were tough battles against teams with an elite player. This was something different.

“It was certainly talked about,” coach Billy Donovan said. “We just dropped three games in a row. It’s not like we’ve run off seven or eight in a row and maybe we were a little full of ourselves. We just dropped three in a row, and you should be coming out more desperate than that in my opinion.”

Detroit’s B-team sure did.

Hot outside shooting by the Pistons (10-2) turned an apparent easy night into a nightmare for the Bulls, who already were down 21-9 in the first quarter.

Surely, it couldn’t last through the entire first half. But it did, and that was the frustrating part for Donovan. His team got outscored 35-23 in the first quarter, and their response was to get outscored 33-29 in the second for a 68-52 halftime deficit.

It looked like some sanity would return to the Little Caesars Arena in the third quarter as the Bulls cut the deficit to single digits on several occasions. Isaac Okoro’s layup with 5:45 left in the third cut the deficit to nine, sending out “here come the Bulls” vibes. False alarm. Within three minutes, Detroit’s lead was back up to 23.

There was a big push in the fourth quarter. The Bulls got the deficit down to four twice in the last seven minutes. Both times they were held off from getting closer.

Pistons big man Paul Reed, who was averaging four points in November, dominated with 28 points and 13 rebounds.

Meanwhile, the Bulls were led by Matas Buzelis, who had 21 points, and Huerter chipped in 20.

“This is a highly competitive league, and I don’t think anyone is good enough just to show up and think they can step between the lines,” Donovan said. “You have to have incredible focus and be locked in to what’s going on. You have to be really, really desperate.

“We’re not more gifted than teams where we can just say, ‘OK, we’re just going to show up.’ ’’