Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images Sloppy game with 18 turnovers and a Detroit team settling for bad shots The Detroit Pistons were scuffling most of the night in a 106-97 loss to the Phoenix Suns at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. For about 2.5 quarters, they were able to use their defensive energy to hang around and keep the game respectable. Then the wheels truly came off, the Suns cruised through a 18-0 run, and the game was pretty well out of reach. The Pistons were led by Jalen Duren’s 17 points while Phoenix was powered by Kevin Durant’s 21. But it wasn’t a stellar game for Duren. He struggled a bit defensively, though did stay engaged in his minutes. He also tried to facilitate more of the offense, as coach JB Bickerstaff implied he was interested in doing before training camp. the results were not great. Duren had one assist to four turnovers, and the offense just looked out of sorts all night. It didn’t matter if it was Cade Cunningham running the show, Jaden Ivey, Duren, or Marcus Sasser. The team couldn’t really find a flow, was settling for tough shots, and making avoidable mistakes. The Suns played their starters through the third quarter, and while they were able to use offensive pressure to create a consistent cushion against Detroit, the Pistons were able to clas back into the game in the first minutes of the second half. A Duren alley oop off a nice Ivey pass made it 60-58 with 8:51 remaining in the third quarter. That was the last time a Pistons player would make the net move in quite a while. A bevvy of missed threes, players trying to do too much and turn the ball over, and forced shots at the rim amounted to nothing but a huge Phoenix run. The Suns’ lead would stretch to 78-58 until a Marcus Sasser three with 2:46 left stopped the bleeding. By then it was too late. Putting some extra offensive responsibility and increased offensive freedom to players is fine in the preseason when things don’t matter. But it’s going to be a problem in the regular season. Cunningham sat after the first half and that opened up opportunities for Ivey and Sasser to show how they could run a team. Ivey mostly acquitted himself OK whether on the ball or off. He scored 16 points, had five assists and three turnovers. He wasn’t great on the defensive end, but his offensive advancement looks real. He’s making sharper, quicker decisions, and he is using his athleticism in the service of decisive moves instead of just trying to speed past and through everyone. Sasser struggled quite a bit. After a stellar opening game, the second-year guard once again looked like a shooting guard in a point guard’s body. Players not named Cunningham ended the night with 21 assists and 17 turnovers. Cade also didn’t have a stellar showing, as he struggled with the length and athleticism of various Suns defenders. He’s still finding his rhythm. Ron Holland didn’t shine quite as brightly in game two as he did in game one, but it was nice in true garbage time when he took over in garbage time as not only one of the more talented players, but the one trying the hardest on both ends of the floor. He’ll be a fan favorite this year. The Pistons will get another crack at the Suns Friday as these two teams play each other again in Phoenix.