Relying on an historic shooting performance through the first three quarters, the Detroit Pistons earned a third straight victory and a 2-0 start to their West Coast road trip Tuesday night.
The Pistons shot 63% from the field and 52% from deep through three quarters and had a season-high 38 assists in one of the most efficient nights for the East-leading Detroit squad this season.
They move to a 24-6 overall record after besting the Sacramento Kings, 136-127, at Golden 1 Center.
The Pistons’ 115 points were the most for the franchise through the first three quarters of a game since Nov. 27, 1987, when they scored 114 against the San Antonio Spurs.
Tobias Harris led the way with 24 points, four assists and four rebounds. Jalen Duren added 23 points and 13 rebounds — seven offensive — and Cade Cunningham contributed 23 points, 14 assists, seven rebounds and five steals.
In their win Monday night, Detroit took advantage of turnovers from the Portland Trail Blazers to get out in transition. The Kings (7-23) weren’t as turnover-prone, but it didn’t stop the Pistons from pushing the pace whenever they gained possession.
During the first half alone, Detroit outscored Sacramento 21-4 out on the fast break.
Hammering away at the paint — where the Pistons won in scoring by a 70-48 margin for the night — helped Detroit open up its first big run to go up 30-18 after back-and-forth play in the opening minutes.
Seven different Pistons scored in the first quarter as the team shot 64% from the field and hit 4-of-8 shots from deep.
Cunningham started exceptionally strong for the third straight game, scoring 10 points with four assists and two steals in the opening period. Forward Isaiah Stewart added seven points to build out a 13-point lead.
The Pistons continued pounding away in the post as Cunningham dealt with early foul trouble, following an early foul-out Monday night. He picked up his third foul four minutes into the second quarter, but Harris and Ausar Thompson were there to pick up the slack.
Harris took on more ball-handling responsibilities with Cunningham on the bench, also showcasing his deep ball with a pair of three-pointers in quick succession and making smart drives to the rim for crafty finishes.
The veteran forward only trailed Cunningham as he posted 14 points and three assists in the opening half.
Thompson followed up his best all-around performance of the year against Portland by featuring his relentless motor on both ends. His three offensive rebounds in the opening half helped him score 11 points and feed a 75-58 lead for Detroit at halftime.
Duren was unstoppable in the third quarter, scoring 14 points in the period for the second straight night. His fellow big, Stewart, added a pair of three-pointers in the frame that quelled a few moments the Kings started building up momentum.
His efforts helped to keep the Kings from mounting a quick comeback, despite Sacramento shooting 60% from the field during the quarter.
If not for a rough stretch of nearly five minutes without a made field goal in the fourth quarter, the Pistons had a chance at shooting over 60% for the game for just the second time this season.
Production tanked for Detroit and the Kings — led by DeMar DeRozan’s 37-point night and 27 more from Russell Westbrook — made their best run back into the matchup.
A 13-4 spring for Sacramento got the Pistons’ lead down to single digits. The offense never picked back up to its early-game levels, but Detroit’s defense made a few key stops and drained enough clock to keep the Kings from completing a comeback.
Up next: The Pistons get a few days off before facing the Utah Jazz on Friday. Detroit won the first meeting this season, 114-103, on Nov. 5.