There was one moment, though, that raised eyebrows. In the third quarter, Duren casually dropped the ball on Nick Richards’ face while Richards was down on the floor. It earned him a technical foul, but the message was clear: Duren plays with an edge.
Cunningham Orchestrates the Win
While Duren dominated inside, Cunningham ran the show. The Pistons’ floor general finished one rebound shy of a triple-double with 18 points, 13 assists, and nine rebounds. He controlled the tempo, found open teammates, and made the right plays when Chicago tried to mount a comeback.
Tobias Harris added 18 points, and Duncan Robinson chipped in 17, hitting five three-pointers. Detroit’s depth and balance proved too much for a Bulls team spiraling in the wrong direction.
Bulls Can’t Stop the Bleeding
Chicago entered the night struggling, and things only got worse. The Bulls suffered their season-high eighth consecutive loss, falling to 24-33 and looking lost on both ends of the floor.
Josh Giddey had a strong individual performance with 27 points on 10-of-16 shooting, including five triples. But stellar individual efforts weren’t enough to cover up Chicago’s glaring issues. The Bulls committed 23 turnovers that led to 28 Detroit points and were thoroughly outworked in the paint, getting outscored 68-38 in that area.
Matas Buzelis, Jalen Smith, and Isaac Okoro each contributed 15 points, but their collective effort couldn’t overcome the team’s lack of cohesion and Chicago’s mounting frustration.
The Game Turned in the Third
Detroit and Chicago traded punches through the first half, with the Pistons holding just a three-point edge at the break, 53-50. Then the third quarter happened.
The Pistons exploded for 44 points in the period while holding Chicago to just 26. Detroit’s defense clamped down, its transition game took over, and suddenly a tight contest turned into a blowout. The lead ballooned to as much as 28 points before Chicago mounted a late, meaningless run.
Injury Concerns for Chicago
The Bulls’ night went from bad to worse when Anfernee Simons left the game with a left wrist injury. Bulls coach Billy Donovan, who returned to the bench after missing a game to attend his father’s funeral, confirmed Simons will undergo imaging to determine the severity.
Adding to Chicago’s roster woes, Jaden Ivey—acquired in a recent trade from Detroit—sat out with knee soreness after playing just four games for his new team.
What’s Next
The Pistons (42-13) head home to face San Antonio on Monday, riding high and looking every bit like the Eastern Conference powerhouse they’ve become this season. With five straight wins and a dominant road trip in the books, the Pistons have positioned themselves as a legitimate threat.
Chicago (24-33) will try to snap its eight-game losing streak when they host the New York Knicks on Sunday. For a team that entered the season with playoff aspirations, the Bulls are running out of time to turn things around.