Nets Look to Snap Losing Streak Against Red-Hot Pistons

The Brooklyn Nets will look to pick up their first win of the 2026-27 season Friday night when they host the Detroit Pistons in their Emirates NBA Cup opener.

Brooklyn enters the matchup at 0-4 after suffering a heartbreaking 125-124 overtime loss to the Boston Celtics on Tuesday. Detroit, meanwhile, has won four of its first five games and looks like a contender in the Eastern Conference after winning 60 games last season.

The Nets and Pistons will tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET at Barclays Center, with Brooklyn hoping to bounce back from another close loss and finally get into the win column.

Detroit's only loss so far came against the defending champion New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. The Pistons have picked up wins over the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers and Charlotte Hornets, giving them plenty of momentum heading into Friday's contest.

Cade Cunningham has led the way for Detroit early in the season. The All-Star guard finished with 30 points, five rebounds, and seven assists in Wednesday's win over Charlotte, continuing to set the tone for the Pistons' offense.

Daniss Jenkins added 14 points off the bench, while Paul Reed stepped into a larger role with Jalen Duren sidelined, finishing with 16 points in 38 minutes.

Detroit will be without Duren for Friday's game, as the All-Star center is expected to miss at least two weeks with a right hamstring strain. He suffered the injury last Friday during the Pistons' win over Miami, leaving the team without one of its most important players in the paint.

Sharpshooting wing Isaiah Joe is also dealing with a hip contusion after taking a hard fall during Sunday's win over Philadelphia. He is considered day-to-day and will be a game-time decision against Brooklyn.

The Nets have injury concerns of their own. Egor Dëmin has been diagnosed with a right leg bone bruise after sustaining the injury during Tuesday's loss in Boston. He is expected to miss at least one week.

Brooklyn is also expected to make another change to its starting lineup. Nolan Traoré replaced Keon Ellis against the Celtics and provided an early spark, scoring nine points in the first quarter before finishing with 15 points and two steals. Ellis is expected to reclaim his starting spot Friday.

Despite their 0-4 record, the Nets came close to breaking through against Boston. They erased an eight-point deficit in the fourth quarter, forced overtime on a clutch three-pointer from rookie Mikel Brown Jr. with 0.3 seconds remaining, and built a five-point lead in the extra period before letting the game slip away.

Brown finished with 17 points, five rebounds and five assists, scoring 16 of his points in the fourth quarter and overtime. Michael Porter Jr. led Brooklyn with 27 points and 12 rebounds, while Julius Randle added 24 points, nine rebounds and four assists.

The late-game mistakes proved costly once again. Brooklyn had a chance to protect its one-point lead in the final seconds of overtime, but Brown attempted a shot instead of holding the ball and forcing Boston to foul. Jayson Tatum then hit the game-winning jumper at the buzzer.

The loss was another frustrating result for a team that has shown it can compete but hasn't figured out how to close games. The Nets will need to take better care of the ball and execute in the final minutes if they want a different result against Detroit.

Friday also marks the beginning of NBA Cup group play for both teams. Brooklyn is part of East Group A and will have an opportunity to get off to a positive start in the competition while trying to end its winless run.

At 0-4, the Nets are the only winless team in the Eastern Conference. The Sacramento Kings are also searching for their first victory at 0-5, putting both teams under pressure to get their seasons moving in the right direction.

Duren's absence could give Brooklyn an opening to attack the paint, but Cunningham and the rest of Detroit's roster will make this a difficult matchup. The Pistons have already beaten several quality opponents and will look to keep their strong start going on the road.

For Brooklyn, the challenge is straightforward: turn the encouraging stretches from Tuesday's loss into a complete performance. The Nets had Boston on the ropes before letting the game slip away, and they'll need to avoid a similar finish if they want to earn their first win.

The Nets will get another chance Friday night at Barclays Center, where they'll look to snap their losing streak and open NBA Cup play with a much-needed victory.