Pistons beat 76ers 106-93 as Cunningham leads Detroit to 3-0
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- Detroit beat Philadelphia 106-93 on Sunday, October 25, in Philadelphia.
- Cade Cunningham scored 26 points and led Detroit to a 3-0 start.
- Philadelphia lost for the first time this season and fell to 3-1.
Detroit beat Philadelphia 106-93 on Sunday night. The game took place at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 26 points.
The win kept Detroit perfect at 3-0 this season. Philadelphia lost for the first time and dropped to 3-1.
What happened
Detroit started fast and never looked back. The Pistons jumped out to a 15-1 lead early. Philadelphia head coach Nick Nurse had to call a quick timeout.
Detroit kept control through most of the first half. The Pistons built a 21-point lead late in the second quarter.
Philadelphia then found some life before halftime. The 76ers closed the half on a 9-0 run. That cut the gap and gave the home crowd hope.
The comeback kept going after the break. LeBron James scored a fast-break layup early in the third quarter. That cut Detroit's lead to 58-53.
Philadelphia kept pushing in the fourth quarter. Tyrese Maxey hit a mid-range shot over Daniss Jenkins. That cut the gap to 79-75 late in the game.
But Detroit held firm down the stretch. The Pistons closed out a 106-93 win on the road.
Cunningham finished with 26 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. That line came from Sixers Wire after the game. Duncan Robinson added 21 points for Detroit.
John Collins and Paul Reed helped Detroit control the boards. Reed is a former Philadelphia player. His work inside hurt his old team.
For Philadelphia, Maxey led all scorers with 29 points. He also had five rebounds and four assists. But Maxey missed his first six shots of the game.
He found his rhythm only in the second half. James returned after a one-game absence and scored 18 points. He also had five assists for Philadelphia.
Jaylen Brown added 16 points for the 76ers. Dean Wade scored seven points and grabbed five rebounds. Adem Bona came off the bench and gave Philadelphia energy.
He scored six points and grabbed 13 rebounds. He also blocked three shots in 25 minutes.
Why it matters
The result shows how deep Detroit can be. Detroit won without two starters on the road. Jalen Duren missed the game with a right hamstring strain.
Ausar Thompson missed it with a right ankle sprain. Detroit still won the rebound battle with ease. That physical edge set the tone from the start.
Philadelphia was short-handed too, and it showed. The 76ers played on the second night of a back-to-back. They had played Milwaukee the night before and won 127-116.
Star center Joel Embiid sat out against Detroit. The team rested him to manage right foot plantar fasciitis. That is a painful foot problem that needs careful rest.
Embiid had wanted to play against Detroit. He told reporters after the Milwaukee win that he wanted to suit up. He asked the media to put pressure on the team.
But Philadelphia stuck to its rest plan. Reuters reported the decision before the game. The team chose long-term health over one October game.
VJ Edgecombe also missed the game with an abdominal contusion. Jabari Walker missed it with left knee soreness. Without Embiid, Philadelphia had no true center to start.
The team started James at center with Dean Wade beside him. Detroit scored inside with ease in the early minutes. Detroit had five offensive rebounds before Philadelphia grabbed its first defensive board.
That stat came from NBC Sports Philadelphia.
The loss also ends Philadelphia's perfect start. The 76ers had won their first three games. Now they sit at 3-1 after four games.
Detroit, in contrast, stays perfect at 3-0. Early wins like this one build trust in a young team. They also give Detroit a cushion in the East standings.
Fans searched for player stats after the game for a clear reason. They wanted to know who stepped up with stars missing. The answer was Cunningham for Detroit and Bona off the bench for Philadelphia.
Bona had played only 12 minutes in the first three games. He missed the whole preseason with a left foot sprain. His 13 rebounds on Sunday were a bright spot for Philadelphia.
The game also fits a wider early-season story in the NBA. Teams now rest stars more in back-to-back games. They protect players for the long season ahead.
That plan can cost a single game in October. But teams hope it pays off in April and May. For more on early-season form, read how the Warriors rallied past the Lakers.
Also read how the Jazz closed out the Suns in preseason play.
What happens next
Philadelphia will look to bounce back fast. The 76ers next play on Wednesday when they visit the Pacers. That game gives them a chance to start a new win streak.
The big question is whether Embiid returns for that game. Philadelphia has not said yet when he will play again. Fans will watch the injury report closely before tip-off.
Detroit will try to keep its perfect start going. A 3-0 start gives the Pistons early momentum. It also shows they can win ugly games on the road.
The next test is whether Duren and Thompson return soon. Both starters would make Detroit even harder to beat. Their return dates are not yet clear.
The 76ers also need to fix their slow starts. They fell into a 15-1 hole against Detroit. They also trailed by 21 points before halftime.
A team cannot win often with starts like that. Coach Nurse will want a sharper first quarter on Wednesday. Maxey will want a faster start too after his slow first half.
For now, Detroit owns the early bragging rights in this matchup. The Pistons won the rebound battle and the fourth quarter. They got 26 points from their star and 21 from Robinson.
Philadelphia got a fight back but not a win. The 76ers will get another chance later in the season. Until then, the standings show Detroit at 3-0 and Philadelphia at 3-1.
For more playoff drama, read about the Valkyries beating the Dream in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals.
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