On Tuesday night, the Pistons initiated the game with a strong 9-1 run, leading to a 22-8 surge that caught the Nets off guard. However, by halftime, Brooklyn had secured a seven-point lead.
Although Cade Cunningham’s outstanding performance, contributing 16 of his 41 points in the third quarter, kept the Pistons in contention, the Nets orchestrated a critical 13-0 run in the late fourth quarter to widen the gap.
Despite Cunningham reducing the deficit to just two points with a layup 57 seconds before the end, Dorian Finney-Smith’s contested corner 3-pointer thwarted the Pistons’ comeback, securing the Nets a six-point victory.
In the loss, Cunningham showcased an impressive stat line of 41 points, nine rebounds, and five assists, shooting 15-of-21 from the field and scoring the majority of his points in the second half.
Notably, Cunningham became the first Pistons player since 2001 (Jerry Stackhouse) to achieve two 40-point games in a single month. Bojan Bogdanović contributed 23 points, and Alec Burks added 15 points off the bench.
The Nets, led by Cam Johnson’s 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting, secured a 50% field goal percentage but struggled with a 62% free-throw shooting rate.
Following the “sell the team” chants from fans after the 25th consecutive loss, owner Tom Gores pledged “change.” Whether this change involves parting ways with coach Williams or general manager Troy Weaver remains uncertain.
Despite the challenges, the Pistons are poised to face the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on Thursday night, where a loss would tie them with the 76ers for the all-time record.
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