Drummond Produces 25 Points, 29 Rebounds In Double-Digit Loss

By Ashley Scoby
@AshleyScoby

For better and for worse, Andre Drummond put himself in the company of Hakeem Olajuwon Tuesday night in a 94-82 loss to the Pacers.

Drummond pulled down a career-high 29 rebounds (including 11 on the offensive end). He out-rebounded the entire Pacers' starting lineup, who combined for 21 boards. And he had more rebounds than any individual had points.

Maybe even more importantly, albeit in a loss, Drummond was 12 of 17 from the field, demonstrating his increased comfort scoring, and the work he put in over the summer improving his post moves. He got a jump hook to go a couple of times, and looked the best offensively he has all year.

"The shots I was taking (before) were really good shots, so they'll fall eventually," Drummond said. "Tonight was a good night (offensively)."

But that franchise player-level performance came within a 12-point loss to a team within the Pistons' division. Detroit yielded to a 20-0 Pacers run to start the second quarter, and its six-point lead vanished in 4:47, transforming into a 44-30 deficit. The game would never be closer than seven points the rest of the way.

The Pistons aren't into moral victories, especially with the addition of Stan Van Gundy as head coach, who has made it his mission to change the culture around the franchise. But Drummond's performance was special, even if it came within the framework of a loss.

According to ESPN Statistics and Information, only two players in the last 30 years of the NBA have put up two separate 25-point/25-rebound performances in losses. One is Drummond, and the other is Olajuwon, a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

Whether it's ripping away nearly 30 rebounds, or continually being fed in the post, Drummond is crucial to what the Pistons can do.

But he can't win solo.

"He was the one guy that really played well tonight," head coach Stan Van Gundy said. "That's why we sort of rode him the whole time. He had a really, really good performance, no question."

The frustration of letting a lead slip in such drastic measure got to Drummond, but in a good way. Emotion in basketball can be a dangerous fire, but Drummond is proving he can use it to his benefit.

"If something doesn't go the right way offensively or defensively, I just try to go out there and get the ball at least to get our guys a refresh, a restart," he said.

Around Drummond, nearly everything else crumbled on Tuesday. Brandon Jennings sat out because of injury. The Pistons' bench contributed two points and five rebounds. The entire team shot 38 percent. They turned the ball over 23 times. The 20-0 run came and went, without Detroit ever really chipping back into the Pacers' cushion.

But the performance from who the Pistons are considering their franchise player was productive in itself.

"It's not even about the numbers really," forward Anthony Tolliver said. "His energy was tremendous tonight. He knows that, I talk to him about it all the time, and so do the coaches. If he brings that type of effort every night, we're all gonna have a chance. Now we have to follow; the rest of us have to bring that energy and effort as well. But he's our main guy, and as he plays, we're gonna play."