Detroit Pistons vs. Utah Jazz

Detroit Pistons guard D.J. Augustin (14) drives in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 97-96 loss to the Utah Jazz at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

(Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

AUBURN HILLS -- The Detroit Pistons' acute free-throw problem has become an extension of their long-running fourth-quarter issues.

Sunday, it cost them a game.

The Pistons rank next-to-last in NBA free-throw percentage, ahead of only the lowly Philadelphia 76ers. But the bigger problem is when those misses occur.

Detroit has made 70.5 percent of free throws in the first three quarters, but 51.4 percent in fourth quarters, an issue which reared up again Sunday in a 97-96 loss to the Utah Jazz.

The Pistons were 17 of 21 from the line in the first three quarters, then 1 of 4 in the decisive fourth quarter.

It was just enough to allow the Jazz to rally from a nine-point deficit with eight minutes remaining behind Gordon Hayward, who scored 17 points, including Utah's last 11.

"We've got to start making our free throws down the stretch," Brandon Jennings said. "And that goes for everybody, including myself. We're making the games close by missing free throws. As a team, including myself, we need to start being more focused and start making free throws, even if that means putting in extra time after practice, as a team, just to make free throws."

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope missed two free throws with 3:20 remaining in a 91-91 game.

Josh Smith split a pair with 2:13 left to give the Pistons a 94-93 lead, their last of the game.

Those were the only free throws the Pistons shot in the fourth quarter and the missed opportunities denied Detroit (2-4) a three-game win streak.

That was essential with a four-game, six-day road trip, all against 2014 playoff teams, beginning tonight in Chicago.

"That's why it hurts that much more because we understand who these opponents are coming up to play," Smith said. "We've got to be able to just try to split the road trip if possible, if not win more than we lose."

Caldwell-Pope and Smith also were at center of a fourth quarter in Wednesday's 98-95 win over New York in which the Pistons shot 5 of 12 from the line. In the last 37 seconds of that game, Caldwell-Pope missed two free throws and Smith split a pair, just as they did in the fourth quarter against Utah.

But the Pistons couldn't overcome it this time.

Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy had other points of contention with his team, including once again missing shots at the basket.

The Pistons have shot 44 percent in the paint over the last three games, including 23 of 52 Sunday.

"Look at the in-the-paint shots. I mean, that's become a problem," Van Gundy said.

So was transition defense. Utah scored 19 fast-break points.

"Inexcusable," Van Gundy said. "If you're going to do that, you're usually going to lose. And down the stretch, just no execution at either end coming out of timeouts, not doing what we're supposed to do. Those are reasons you lose close games. If you get shots you're supposed to get and you miss them, OK. But when you can't run a play coming out of a timeout, you deserve to lose."

One such instance came when the Pistons called a 20-second timeout with 1:24 left but Caldwell-Pope ran the play incorrectly and ended up jacking a long 3-pointer late in the shot clock with Utah up 97-94.

Caron Butler takes "a lot of pride in knowing coverages and knowing the schemes," but the 34-year-old veteran admitted that he, too, botched three defensive assignments, leading to two Utah scores.

"Down the stretch, you've just got to keep your poise, stick to the script, and keep everybody on a string defensively," Butler said. "That's a tough one to swallow, knowing that we only lost by a point."

Defensive shortcomings can be addressed by coaching and players holding each other accountable.

But what of errant free-throw shooting, particularly at the most critical times of games?

"Just keep our concentration, be supportive, be there for your teammates," Butler said.

The Pistons already have taken measures to protect their worst free-throw shooter, Andre Drummond, in fourth quarters. In the four games since Greg Monroe returned from a two-game suspension, Drummond has averaged 3:20 of fourth-quarter playing time.

Van Gundy said said twice recently that he isn't opposed to playing Drummond late in close games, and that the young center didn't play the last three minutes against the Jazz because of playing time.

"But the free-throw shooting, I don't know," Van Gundy said. "Obviously, something's got to change. But I don't have an answer to it right now."

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