Pistons Beat Nets 110-94 in Cup Opener
Detroit capped a dominant third quarter to extend its winning streak, while Brooklyn dropped to 0-5 on the season.
By Dominic Foster ·
The Detroit Pistons defeated the Brooklyn Nets 110-94 on Friday night to open the NBA Cup. Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 20 points, while Duncan Robinson contributed 17. Ron Holland II added 16 points off the bench, and Paul Reed finished with 12 for the visitors.
The win moves the Pistons to 5-1, marking their first five-win start to a season since 2015-16. Detroit has limited opponents to 40% field goal percentage in this game, capping a stretch where no team has shot better than 45.5% against them this year. The Nets remain winless at 0-5, with Julius Randle scoring 15 points and Michael Porter Jr. adding 13.
Brooklyn controlled the early minutes, building a 28-21 lead after the first quarter. The Nets extended their advantage to 10 points, the largest margin of their season, after Randle made free throws with 10:44 left in the second quarter. Detroit responded with an 18-7 run to close the first half, taking a 56-49 lead at the break.
The Pistons dominated the third period, outscoring Brooklyn 37-17. Holland scored 12 consecutive points during that span. Detroit also forced nine turnovers and held the Nets to 33% shooting from the field in that quarter. The Pistons outscored the Nets 48-36 in the paint and led 27-11 on fast breaks.
The Pistons will visit the Charlotte Hornets on Monday. The Nets travel to face the Indiana Pacers on Sunday.
