The NBA In-Season Tournament is off to a triumphant start for the Detroit Pistons.
Their first matchup of the Emirates NBA Cup ended with the Pistons defeating the Brooklyn Nets 125-107. Detroit's dominance was carried by its emerging duo of Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren. They both finished with double-double efforts to solidify the team's fifth consecutive victory.
Cunningham put together another complete game, leading all scorers with 34 points and 10 assists. Duren continued his surging momentum with 30 points, 11 rebounds, and three steals. They both were lights-out efficient as Cunningham hit 13-of-18 shots from the field and Duren knocked down 11-of-14. Free throws were no issue either as they went for a combined 14-for-14.
The starting point guard and center are quickly establishing themselves as franchise-building blocks for the Pistons. Duren is blossoming as a bigger focal point for Detroit's offensive game plan. The Pistons are undefeated when Duren scores 20 points or more this season and have elevated to first in the Eastern Conference with a 7-2 record. Cunningham elaborated on the value of Duren's emergence for the franchise during his postgame media session.
“He’s dominant. He’s not waiting. He’s attacking every game. I mean, really, not enough can be said about how he’s approached things lately,” Cunningham stated. “He has all the ability in the world to do what he’s been doing. So it’s exciting. We’re happy about how we’ve started the season. We’re just working on maintaining it and continuing to stack days.”
Detroit's identity continues to be its defense, leading to easy transition buckets. They dominated Brooklyn in the interior by scoring 80 points in the paint and 29 fast-break points. The defense was certainly the catalyst, as the Pistons forced 14 steals and 20 turnovers from the Nets. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff weighed in on the team's inside production to the media.
“I don't think I've ever seen 80 points in the paint. Not only that, to have 32 assists and only make six 3's is hard, too. It showed our guys' willingness to share the ball and stick to the game plan,” Bickerstaff stated. “We are a paint attack team, that's our strength, and that's what carried us to the dub tonight. I thought the guys did a great job of doing it all together.”
More injuries piling up for Pistons
Another unfortunate injury occurred for the Pistons when forward Isaiah Stewart hurt his ankle in the second quarter. The injury occurred when Stewart corralled a loose ball rebound. He tried playing on it during that period but ended up sitting out after halftime.
Stewart has been starting in place of starting power forward Tobias Harris. The 14-year-veteran has been recovering from an ankle injury he suffered back in Mexico City against the Dallas Mavericks. There is still no timetable available for Harris' return to the lineup for the Pistons.
Detroit has had to muscle through injuries since the season started. They have been without guards Jaden Ivey (knee) and Marcus Sasser (hip) all season so far with no scheduled return yet. Now, the injuries have spread out to the front court with Harris and Stewart currently hurt.
