Coty Davis asks Cade Cunningham about the 125-107 victory in Brooklyn.
Coty Davis asks Cade Cunningham about the 125-107 victory in Brooklyn.
Brooklyn — Coach J.B. Bickerstaff made the Detroit Pistons’ intentions clear ahead of their first Emirates NBA Cup game on Friday night, “We want to win the cup.”
Winning the franchise’s fourth Larry O’Brien Trophy in June is the Pistons’ ultimate goal this season. However, the Emirates NBA Cup offers the team an opportunity to build toward achieving its long-term goal. But as of now, the Pistons have entered the in-season tournament, aiming to be the last team standing in Las Vegas in December.
After overcoming another slow start, the Pistons laid the groundwork for their championship aspirations with a 125-107 win over the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. The victory gave the Pistons their first win of East Group B play to open the in-season tournament.
They are now 7-2 overall and first in the Eastern Conference.
“This is great, it’s a good time of the year,” guard Cade Cunningham said. “It (the Emirates NBA Cup) adds something to what we are competing for. We have a mission on our minds that we are attacking every day. We are attacking every game as if we are getting better for the Finals. This is another wrinkle in it, and we are excited about it. We want to go to Las Vegas and handle business.”
Cunningham scored a season-high 34 points on 13-of-18 shooting, to go along with 10 assists. He scored 14 points during the third quarter. He was joined by Jalen Duren, who scored 20 or more points for the fourth time over the last five games, finishing with 30 points and 11 rebounds.
In today’s NBA, it is not often that a team can win a game by making just six 3-point field goals, but the Pistons were able to extend their winning streak to five by dominating from the inside. They outscored the Nets 80-32 in points in the paint.
BOX SCORE: Pistons 125, Nets 107
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen 80 points in the paint,” Bickerstaff said. “And not only that, to have 32 assists with only six 3s, that is hard to do also. It just showed our guys’ willingness to share the ball and stick to the game plan. We are a paint-attack team. That is what carried us to the dub tonight.”
Early in the second quarter, Isaiah Stewart sustained a left ankle sprain while going up for a rebound. He tweaked his ankle upon landing and tried to play through the pain. But during the next deadball, Stewart left the game and did not return.
His absence left the Pistons short-handed as Tobias Harris missed his third straight game due to his respective ankle injury. Bickerstaff did not have an update on Stewarts’ injury after the game.
Ausar Thompson added 14 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals. Michael Porter Jr. led the Nets with 28 points. Noah Clowney added 19 points on 5-of-13 shooting. He scored 13 points in the first quarter. Nets’ second leading scorer Cam Thomas missed the game due to a hamstring strain and will remain sidelined for three to four weeks. He is currently averaging 21.4 points per game.
Observations and notes
▶ Will the Pistons ever improve their play in the first quarter? When the Pistons defeated the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night, there was hope that Detroit had finally fixed its first-quarter woes. They had scored 32 points on 60.9% shooting at FedExForum and marked the only time this season they led after the first 12 minutes.
However, their start at Barclays Center was another indication that their performance against the Grizzlies was more of an outlier. Their 29-27 deficit following the first quarter does not illustrate their subpar start.
The Pistons’ defense allowed the Nets to make four out of their first five attempts on 3-point shooting, resulting in an early 19-9 lead. Clowney attributed three of the Nets’ four triples. On the offensive end, the Pistons began the quarter shooting 1-of-6 from 3-point range. They also committed seven turnovers, resulting in 12 points for Brooklyn.
The Pistons remain one of the worst first-quarter teams in the league this season. They have put together the third-worst offense during the period, averaging 26.9 points with a net rating of 105.9. After trailing by as many as 10 points, the Pistons closed the period on an 18-10 run.
▶ Flipping the script in the second half: For fans who had once hoped for an upset, their reality quickly fell back to earth during the third quarter after Cunningham threw down a one-handed dunk at the 9:05 mark. His basket was part of the Pistons’ 12-2 run in the third, which led to Detroit going on to have one of its best quarters of the season.
The Pistons outscored the Nets 34-19 and dominated on all cylinders. They shot 57.1% from the field, while outscoring Brooklyn 20-2 from the inside. On the defensive end, they held the Nets to a 21.1% with only four made field goals.
The Pistons’ ability to put Brooklyn away during the third quarter was a testament to their second-half dominance. This season, Detroit has been one of the best second-half teams, putting together the sixth-highest scoring average at 59.6 points with an offensive rating of 114.3.
“It was our defense more than anything. We were able to get some stops,” Cunningham said. “We had some early turnovers that held us back offensively. We got away from that and took care of the ball, getting stops and running. That’s how we play, and that’s our identity.”
▶ Bobi Klintman receives meaningful minutes: Second-year forward Bobi Klintman received some meaningful minutes during the Pistons’ blowout win against the Nets. He played 15 minutes, finishing with five rebounds and four points. Bickerstaff announced after the game that Klintman has earned more playing time, reflecting his ongoing development.
“I thought he was good,” Bickerstaff said. “He was active. He cuts well. He rebounded. He executes our stuff. We wanted to give him an opportunity. Throughout training camp and the preseason, he has worked extremely hard. We just wanted to give him the opportunity to go out there and play because it was deserved.”
coty.davis@detroitnews.com
@cotydavis_24
