The new-look Pistons stumble in the season opener despite Cunningham's 28 points

Detroit – The Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers finished the 2023-24 season on opposite sides of the spectrum. The Pacers reached the Eastern Conference finals with a 47-35 regular-season record, while the Pistons had the worst year in franchise history with 14 wins.

But as Pacers coach Rick Carlisle began preparing for the 2024-25 season against the Pistons, he noticed that Detroit looked completely different. The changes on both sides of the ball under coach JB Bickerstaff gave Carlisle the feeling that the Pistons would be a “tougher team to beat.”

“When you add (Tim) Hardaway Jr., (Tobias) Harris and (Malik) Beasley, that’s three experienced scorers, three shooters and three weapons,” Carlisle said before the game. “I know Harris has played here before and so there will be a certain amount of pride for him and the whole team, especially after the year they have been through. It will be a completely different team. Watching all of their pre-season games, they were impressive.”

On Wednesday night at Little Caesars Arena, the Pistons lived up to Carlisle's prediction despite a 115-109 season-opening loss to the Pacers. Myles Turner led the Pacers in the win with 20 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Pascal Siakam added 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.

BOX POINTS: Pacers 115, Pistons 109

The Pacers outscored the Pistons 33-19 in the fourth quarter to complete the comeback victory. They entered the final half trailing by eight points after a big third-quarter scoring effort from Cade Cunningham, who led the way on the night with 28 points on 9 of 17 shooting and 2 of 4 on 3-point shooting.

“They’re a good basketball team with a lot of experience,” Bickerstaff said. “They're a well-coached team, you know, and they've found a rhythm in their pick-and-roll game, with their ability to create space on the field with their five players, and then they do it with their individuals Difficult for players who can do something.” You.

“We just had to keep hitting. I thought we did a really good job in the first half. But they were able to outmaneuver us in the second half.”

Cunningham had one of the best quarters of his young career, scoring 18 points on 8-of-9 shooting. He hit a 3-point field goal to cap his scoring drive in the third quarter, resulting in the Pistons holding a 90-82 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Cunningham's performance in the third quarter was a complete 180 from his teammate role in the first half, in which he recorded six of his eight assists. Tobias Harris and Malik Beasley shared the scoring load in the first half with 13 and 10 points, respectively. Their play resulted in Detroit leading 58-49 at halftime.

“I felt good all night,” Cunningham said. “I felt good in the warmups, the layups, everything. My sweater fell down. It didn't fall off in the first half, but I felt good all night. I just kept shooting.”

Jalen Duren added 11 points and 13 rebounds while Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 14 points on 4 of 7 shooting from distance. Pacers All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton contributed 15 points, five rebounds and four assists in the win. His 3-point field goal with 21 seconds left in the fourth quarter sealed the deal for the Pacers.

“This is a process – we will be patient with the process,” Bickerstaff said. “I’m extremely proud of the way the boys competed and shared the game, and the way they turned out.”

Observations vs. Pacers

▶ Ron Holland's impressive NBA debut

Ron Holland made his official NBA debut against the Pacers and maintained the mentality that made him a fan favorite in the preseason. He came on for Tobias Harris with 3:35 left in the first quarter. At that point, the Pistons trailed the Pacers 21-18.

A high-energy guy, Holland gave the Pistons a big boost with his all-around game, posting six points, three rebounds and a steal in his first seven minutes. Holland's performance helped the Pistons regain momentum when their game began to stagnate after their hot start that saw Detroit lead 12-4 early in the first quarter.

“I have a lot to learn,” Holland said. “I went out and did everything I could to help this team win and give them the best chance to win. Every single possession I brought the energy and the defense.”

▶ Beasley is honored as Pisthe sixth man of the tons

Malik Beasley could have easily played a role in Detroit's starting lineup, but he made his debut on the bench. If the Pistons continue to show signs of improvement during the regular season, Beasley could be considered for Sixth Man of the Year honors. He came off the bench and elevated the Pistons' play on both ends, scoring 14 points on 5 of 13 shooting and three rebounds in the loss.

▶ A disappointing start to the season for Ivey

Jaden Ivey's promising preseason led many to believe he was on the verge of a breakout year. Unfortunately, he didn't show the performance that would have made him the team's best player with a 3-2 win in pre-season. Before scoring a timely And-1 basket late in the third quarter, Ivey shot 2 of 7 from the field to start the night. His subpar 3-point shooting was the most disappointing as he finished the night 0 of 2 from behind the arc.

During the preseason, Ivey averaged 15.0 points and shot 52.9% from behind the arc. Against the Pacers, he finished the game with 17 points while shooting 5 of 13 from the field, 0 of 2 on 3-point field goals.

▶ Next

The Pistons will play their first road game of the season on Friday night against their Central Division rival, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Last season, the Pistons lost their four-game regular season series 4-0 to the Cavaliers. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

[email protected]

@cotydavis_24

Observations vs. Pacers

Similar Posts

How do critics react to the shocking horror film?

The Minnesota Lynx defeated the New York Liberty with a 95-93 overtime victory in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Archives

Categories