Cade Cunningham scored 19 of his game-high 32 points in the third quarter while Jalen Duren added a double-double without missing a shot as the visiting Detroit Pistons beat the Houston Rockets 107-96 on Monday afternoon.
Cunningham added nine rebounds and seven assists to offset his 10-turnover performance. Duren posted 16 points on 8-of-8 shooting with 14 rebounds plus four steals and two blocks for the Pistons. Detroit seized control in the third quarter and fended off the Rockets after they closed to within five points in the fourth.
Fred VanVleet led Houston with 20 points and tied his season best of six steals while Jalen Green added 19 points. Amen Thompson totaled 17 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals before fouling out for the Rockets, who surrendered 28 fastbreak points and 50 points in the paint.
Cunningham put the Pistons in control with a dazzling flurry in the third, sparking a 13-0 run with a 3-pointer before adding a pull-up baseline jumper, another 3 and two free throws. Detroit pushed its lead to 79-64 with the scoring blitz. Cunningham capped the frame with another pull-up jumper from the baseline that beat the buzzer and gave the Pistons a 90-80 lead.
Cunningham shot 7-of-8 in the third period. When Houston closed to within 90-85 in the fourth, Marcus Sasser replied with a floater and a 3-pointer that helped Detroit reclaim its 10-point lead.
Cunningham and Duren keyed a hot start for Detroit and, with help from Malik Beasley, led a 16-1 run that helped build a 40-29 lead entering the second period.
Duren cashed in two offensive rebounds while Beasley produced a transition dunk and a 3-pointer as Detroit took advantage of seven Houston turnovers in the first period. The Pistons shot 61.5 percent and recorded 13 fastbreak points. Beasley finished the game with 17 points.
The Rockets fashioned a response in the second, using a 16-0 run to erase a 44-29 deficit.
Cam Whitmore emerged from the bench and drilled a 3-pointer before adding an alley-oop dunk and an assist to ignite the rally. A pair of Tari Eason free throws supplied the Rockets a 45-44 lead with 6:27 left until halftime.
A stalemate ensued for the remainder of the half, concluded by a Tim Hardaway Jr. 3-pointer for the Pistons with 2.8 seconds left, resulting in a 57-57 deadlock at the intermission.
–Field Level Media
