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The Detroit Pistons outscore the Nets 106-92 by strengthening their defense

Posted on by Kennedy
The Detroit Pistons outscore the Nets 106-92 by strengthening their defense

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It was another turnover-heavy game, but the Detroit Pistons survived by leaning on the defense at Barclays Center.

The Pistons defeated the Brooklyn Nets on the road Sunday, 106-92, improving to 2-5. They controlled the second half, winning 54-35 and rallying from a nine-point deficit in the third quarter. They won both road games after beating the 76ers in Philadelphia on Wednesday.

Cade Cunningham started slowly, taking a single shot in the first quarter while being chased by Brooklyn's defense. His first shot didn't come until 8:15 into the second quarter (on just three attempts), completing a 3-point play that gave the Pistons a 37-36 lead.

The Nets (3-4) played aggressively in doubles and blocked Cunningham. He responded with a more measured scoring effort, finishing the game with a team-best 19 points, six rebounds and five assists on 8-for-13 shooting. He scored nine points in the fourth quarter to keep the Pistons in control.

However, it was another high-turnover game for Cunningham as he accounted for seven of the Pistons' 17. It was his third time this season that he played at least seven games and the fifth game with at least five.

The Pistons also got double-digit scoring performances from Tobias Harris (18 points, six assists, five rebounds), Malik Beasley (18 points), Jaden Ivey (15 points, five assists, four turnovers) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (15 points). . ) and Jalen Duren (13 points, 17 rebounds, three blocks).

Cam Johnson led the Nets with 26 points.

The Pistons entered halftime trailing 57-52 and trailed 67-58 with less than eight minutes left in the third period. They responded with a 28-10 run and took control of the game for good, holding the Nets to a 37.1% shooting percentage overall in the second half and just 14 points off the game's turnovers.

The Pistons host the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday evening (7:30 p.m.) at Little Caesars Arena.

Tobias Harris remains assertive

It took the veteran striker a few games to find his rhythm, but he put in a string of solid performances. Sunday was his best yet, and his strongest stretch of the day helped the Pistons take control of the game in the third quarter.

After a game-winning 15-6 run, Harris hit three big shots to maintain control. The first — a mid-range jumper through contact followed by a free throw and-1 with less than four minutes left in the quarter — broke the 73-73 tie and gave the Pistons their first lead since the 8:15 mark of the second Quarter.

Harris then did his part to help the Pistons maintain the lead, answering a Nets three-pointer with back-to-back post hooks via Dennis Schroder and Johnson, extending the lead to six early in the final period. At the end of the third quarter he had 18 points, six assists, four rebounds and a single turnover.

After shooting a total of 34.1% in his first four games, Harris has surpassed the 50% mark in consecutive performances. On a night where the Pistons were nearly doomed by turnovers, Harris consistently found his teammates and took care of the ball. It was a performance that showed why the team made him a priority this offseason.

Jalen Duren delivers a two-way performance

Isaiah Stewart was limited by foul trouble on Sunday, committing three fouls in both periods and fouling out with nine minutes left in the fourth half. Duren responded respectfully with a season-high in rebounds and blocks, 17 and three.

Duren had defensive issues early in the season, but he was instrumental in helping the Pistons secure the win in the second half.

(MUST WATCH: We'll be talking Pistons live on YouTube starting Sunday at 8 p.m. Tune in and join the chat. Make The Pistons Pulse your favorite Detroit Pistons podcast, available wherever you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) or watch live/on-demand on YouTube. )

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