NBA Notes: Pistons, Ron Holland, Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Pacers

Pistons

Detroit needed someone to fill the Duncan Robinson-sized gap on Monday and Ron Holland wasted no time grabbing that opportunity.

Holland came off the bench and hit Atlanta with 17 points, six rebounds and two steals in just 17 minutes as the Pistons escaped with a 99-98 win.

“He was unbelievable,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said, via Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. “He was the spark for us. We struggled tonight. I thought Ron gave us a ton of energy. He was phenomenal.”

Holland said watching the early flow helps him attack when he checks in.

“Coming off the bench allows me to slow the game down,” he said. “There are going to be nights we start slow. That is what the bench mob is for. We bring that spark.”

Detroit continues to climb the hustle charts, ranking among the league leaders in deflections, loose balls and contested shots.

Bucks

In a case of bad going to worse, Milwaukee fell apart late and lost 129-126 to Washington on Monday, dropping to 9-13.

The Bucks led by 16 in the third before the Wizards went on a 24-8 run and stole the game with big shots from ex-Buck Khris Middleton and CJ McCollum.

“You let a team like that get close, they’ll beat you,” coach Doc Rivers said, via Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “If it gets to a four-minute game they have two players in Middleton and McCollum that know how to play.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s recent absence has been part of the slide, but the Bucks have been average even when he’s active. They were mediocre early last year too before finishing strong, although this turnaround may be tougher.

The new Myles Turner-Antetokounmpo pairing has not fixed the defense, which has regressed from 13th to 18th.

One bright spot is Ryan Rollins, who has stepped in and averaged 17.7 points per game as an unexpected secondary scorer.

Pacers

Ethan Thompson’s new two-way deal with Indiana runs for two seasons, reports Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors. If Thompson plays it out, he will not hit free agency until the summer of 2027.