Pistons 133-125 Suns (December 21, 2024) Game Recap

Pistons 133-125 Suns (December 21, 2024) Game Recap

PHOENIX – Cade Cunningham scored 28 points and had 13 assists, Jalen Duren added 17 points and 11 rebounds and the Detroit Pistons defeated the Phoenix Suns 133-125 on Saturday night.

The Pistons dominated most of the game and didn’t give up after the first few minutes. The Suns cut their deficit to 122-119 with two free throws from Kevin Durant with 2:26 left, but Malik Beasley responded with a corner 3 to thwart the comeback attempt.

Durant scored a season-high 43 points on 14 of 26 shooting and made all 11 of his free throws. Bradley Beal added 26 turnovers, but the Suns couldn’t overcome 19 turnovers.

Seven Detroit players scored in double figures. Jaden Ivey had 20, Beasley added 18 and Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 16.

Detroit took a 41-26 lead at the end of the first quarter, scoring 16 points off seven Phoenix turnovers. The Suns cut the lead to 64-59 by halftime.

The Suns played their first game of the season without four-time All-Star guard Devin Booker, who was sidelined with left groin soreness.

Takeaways

Pistons: Detroit’s aggressive defense gave the Suns problems all night. The surging Pistons have won three of their last five games.

Suns: They have lost 12 of their last 18 games after starting the season 8-1. The main trigger on Saturday was fluctuations. Booker’s absence was certainly a factor, but there’s no real excuse for being so sloppy.

Key moment

The Suns had a little hope in the final minute, but Cunningham hit a three-pointer with 33.8 seconds left that increased the Pistons’ lead to seven.

Key statistics

The Suns shot nearly 62% from the field in the first three quarters but still trailed 103-94, largely due to turnovers and poor defense.

Next

The Pistons play at the Los Angeles Lakers and the Suns play at the Denver Nuggets on Monday.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

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