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    The Detroit Pistons run out of gas in the fourth quarter of their 115-109 loss to the Indiana Pacers
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    The Detroit Pistons run out of gas in the fourth quarter of their 115-109 loss to the Indiana Pacers

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    There was a lot of good in the Detroit Pistons' season opener on Wednesday. However, they failed to achieve their main goal: leaving Little Caesars Arena with a win.

    The Pistons lost to the Indiana Pacers 115-109 after leading by 14 points in the final period. Cade Cunningham led all players with 28 points, including 18 in the third quarter on 8-for-9 shooting. He also provided eight assists with three turnovers. Jaden Ivey added 17 points.

    After leading by 11 at halftime, the Pistons faltered defensively as Indiana shot 61.1% in the final period. Bennedict Mathurin scored 14 of his 19 points in the fourth, Myles Turner scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds, and Pascal Siakam finished the game with 19 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.

    Make your choice: How many games should the Detroit Pistons win this season?

    Veterinarians are offended early on; Cunningham takes over after that

    It was a quiet first half for both Cunningham (six points on 1-for-8 shooting) and Jaden Ivey (six points, three fouls). However, it was hard to say based on the halftime score.

    A trio of newfound veterans — Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. — kept the Pistons on par before Cunningham burst into flames in the third quarter. Hardaway hit his first two shots of the season with a pair of 3-pointers, and both Harris (13 points) and Beasley (10 points) scored in double figures in the half as the Pistons took an 11-point lead, 58-47 .

    Cunningham came out swinging in the second half, throwing his first five pitches – including a right-handed bouncer against Turner that brought the crowd to its feet. A scoring drought fueled an 11-1 run by the Pacers that briefly gave them the lead, but Cunningham finished the quarter strong – knocking down a step-back 3 just before the buzzer to extend the Pistons' lead back to eight.

    Even before he found his rhythm, Cunningham was involved as a playmaker with six assists in the first half and one turnover. But the second half showed how dangerous he can be as a scorer, and it came on time for the Pistons on Wednesday.

    (MUST WATCH: Make The Pistons Pulse your favorite Detroit Pistons podcast, available wherever you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) or watch live/on-demand on YouTube. )

    The Pistons' defense starts strong but can't sustain

    The Pacers were the second-best offense in the NBA last season with an offensive rating of 115.1. They were also the most efficient team in the NBA with a true shooting percentage of 60.8%. Wednesday's opener was a big test for the Pistons' defense. They appeared to pass the test early, but the Pacers ultimately couldn't be contained.

    The first four minutes of the game featured perhaps the Pistons' best defense in more than a year. Players moved on a string and physically overwhelmed the Pacers, forcing two turnovers while holding them to 1-for-5 shooting. Big third-year senior Jalen Duren played a key role in the strong start by disrupting shots at the rim and dominating on the glass.

    Indiana shot 58.5% in the second half and took control late as the Pistons tried to overcome cold snaps on offense. Cunningham gave them a 100-99 lead with a layup with just under seven minutes to play. The next basket didn't come until four minutes later, and a late three-pointer from Tyrese Haliburton with 20 seconds left sealed the loss on the opening night.

    Contact Omari Sankofa II at [email protected]. Follow him @omarisankofa.

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