Detroit — Jalen Suggs saw Cade Cunningham in the open court and thought it was his chance to make a highlight dunk. At that moment, the Orlando Magic were starting to regain the momentum that had once given them a 10-point lead, but instead of posterizing Cunningham, Suggs’ decision backfired.
At the 10:00 mark of the third quarter, Cunningham met his 2021 draftmate at the rim, recording a one-handed rejection on Suggs’ dunk attempt. On Detroit’s next offensive possession, Cunningham ensured the Pistons took advantage of his defensive stop by assisting Duncan Robinson on his second 3-pointer of the night.
Cunningham’s block on Suggs ignited a spark that led to the Pistons (3-2) taking a 135-116 victory Wednesday night at Little Caesars Arena.
“That’s our identity, and I cannot be a one-sided player,” Cunningham said. “I have to make plays on both ends of the court. Just getting into a rhythm, pushing myself to make plays on that side of the ball. I think I have a lot of room to grow. I think I’ve put us in some tough spots at times, but I will keep trying to make plays for the team and help us win games.”
Cunningham’s block was one of several reasons fans in attendance gave the All-NBA guard MVP chants by the end of the night.
He scored 19 of his 30 points in the second half. Early in the fourth quarter, Cunningham embarked on a personal 8-0 run, which featured a pair of And-1 baskets to push Detroit ahead 114-97 with 9:28 left. His performance extended beyond scoring, contributing 10 assists, six rebounds, three blocks and three steals.
“I thought he just continued to be aggressive. He figured out where his spots on the floor were that he could attack and try to stay away from traffic and try to stay away from multiple bodies,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “[He found] more isolation situations, and not always in the pick and roll. I thought it was good for him. But again, he is Cade Cunningham for a reason, right? And we’re lucky to have him.”
When trying to identify the cause of the Pistons’ slow starts, following Monday’s embarrassment against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Duncan Robinson couldn’t single out one reason. However, against the Magic, failing to secure 50-50 balls and giving up second-chance points led to another poor start for Detroit.
BOX SCORE: Pistons 135, Magic 116
The issues led to the Pistons struggling to score in the first four minutes, missing nine of their first 10 shots, including 0-of-3 from deep. But unlike their performance against the Cavaliers, the Pistons began to build momentum in the second quarter.
They outscored the Cavaliers 36-28 during the period, taking a 65-64 lead into the halftime break. Ausar Thompson (12 points, 11 rebounds and six assists) nailed his first triple of the season with 50 seconds left in the second quarter, which gave Detroit its first lead of the game.
Thompson’s contributions were vital, given that the third-year forward entered the night questionable due to an illness. Tobias Harris was essential in the Pistons’ first-half comeback, where he scored 13 of his 23 points.
“This group has always been resilient, and that’s part of the identity of this team, and it’s part of the character of the individuals that are on this team,” Bickerstaff said. “We don’t have guys that will lay down. We don’t have guys that will quit. And when you have 17 guys who individually are like that, the spirit of the group just has a ’never die’ mentality. We’re never out of a fight. That’s, again, a credit to them.”
Jalen Duren added his second double-double of the season with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Paolo Banchero led Orlando (1-4) with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Franz Wagner added 22 points and seven rebounds.
“It’s a great win for us. [Orlando] is a team with a lot of talent,” Cunningham said. “Bouncing back from last game, that was an ugly game. We needed to come in and play the right way, so that was a big win for us.”
LeVert returns from injury: Caris LeVert checked into the game at the 8:06 mark of the first quarter. His substitution marked the first time he appeared in a game since Detroit’s season-opening loss to the Chicago Bulls on Oct. 22. He missed the previous three games due to a hamstring injury.
“It felt good. A little rusty, obviously,” LeVert said. “It felt great just to go out there and compete in front of those fans. It was a good night for us.”
Despite finishing the game with four points and two assists, there were small intangibles where LeVert’s presence made a difference.
His most significant impact came from the hustle and effort he showed on defense. LeVert’s most important highlight of the night came at 2:32 of the third quarter when he completed an And-1 basket following Ron Holland’s steal and assist.
“His versatility and adaptability make it hard for him to play the way he has to right now. Short minutes are not easy for a guy coming back,” Bickerstaff said. “But, he is able to do all the small things on both ends of the floor that impact winning. He did not come back to try and force it. He came back to try and help the team win.”
Starting to find a niche in the Motor City: Apart from his performance against the Houston Rockets Friday night, Duncan Robinson’s start to the season has been a bit of a letdown. Most of his struggles stem from trying to adapt to a new system after spending seven seasons with the Miami Heat.
Against the Magic, Robinson proved he is slowly finding his way in Detroit. On an efficient shooting night where he shot 4-of-6 from behind the arc, Robinson finished with 15 points and also came up huge on the glass by adding five rebounds.
“I’m getting there,” Robinson told The Detroit News. “This has been a feel-out process, but a fun group to play with, which has made it a bit easier. I am trying to err on the side of being aggressive while continuing to find my way. It’s going to take a little bit of time, but I’d rather find out sooner rather than later.”
coty.davis@detroitnews.com
@cotydavis_24
Coty and Tarohn discuss the improvement of Ausar Thompson and the slow start of Duncan Robinson.
Coty and Tarohn discuss the improvement of Ausar Thompson and the slow start of Duncan Robinson.
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