Cade Cunningham scored 20 points and Duncan Robinson added 17 on Friday night, leading the Detroit Pistons to a 110-94 victory over the Brooklyn Nets in an NBA Cup opener, ESPN reported. The win lifts the Pistons to a 5-1 start to the season, marking the franchise’s best opening stretch since the 2015-16 campaign.
Detroit built its success on defense, limiting a winless Brooklyn squad to 40 percent shooting from the field. No opponent has shot better than 45.5 percent against the Pistons through their first six games. Ron Holland II contributed 16 points off the bench, while Paul Reed chipped in 12 points to anchor the Detroit second-unit rotation.
The matchup began slowly for the home side. Brooklyn capitalized on early Detroit miscues to build a 28-21 lead by the end of the first quarter. The deficit stretched to 10 points—marking the Nets’ largest lead of the young season—when Julius Randle sank a pair of free throws with 10:44 remaining in the second period.
Randle finished with 15 points, and teammate Michael Porter Jr. added 13 for Brooklyn, which dropped to 0-5 on the season. Yet the double-digit margin vanished before halftime. Detroit answered with an 18-7 run over the remainder of the second quarter, claiming a 56-49 advantage at the break.
The game turned decisively in the third quarter. Detroit outscored Brooklyn 37-17 during the period, fueled by a personal 12-point scoring streak from Holland. The Pistons clamped down defensively, holding the Nets to 33 percent shooting and forcing nine turnovers in those 12 minutes alone.
By the final whistle, Detroit dominated the interior and the open floor. The Pistons outscored the Nets 48-36 in the paint and converted a 27-11 advantage on fast-break opportunities.
Upcoming Matchups for Detroit and Brooklyn
The Pistons will hit the road to face the Charlotte Hornets on Monday. Meanwhile, the Brooklyn Nets travel to play the Indiana Pacers on Sunday as they search for their first victory of the season.
