The Detroit Pistons posted a 133-121 win over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday while establishing some franchise history in the process
On Sunday night, the Detroit Pistons embarked on their regular season finale intending to reach the 60-win threshold for just the third time in franchise history, and the team’s electric first half start helped make that possible in what unfolded as a 133-121 road victory.
In the first half, the Pistons put up 81 points in the 82nd game of the regular season to set the tone on a night that was filled with impressive performances. For Detroit, Paul Reed filled in for Jalen Duren in the starting lineup, and B-Ball Paul did his best All-Star impression going a perfect 11-for-11 from the field, which added up to 26 points on the night. Reed’s performance extended to the defensive end of the court as well with six total stocks (three steals, three blocks) to help secure the Pistons’ 12-point win.
“Playoffs on the line,” Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham said after the game. “It’s been a great regular season, but now it’s time for the real fun.”
As a result of Detroit’s win in their final game before the postseason, the Pistons also completed a clean 4-0 season sweep over their Central Division rival this year. But now that Detroit has ended the regular season on a positive note, Cunningham is focused on what lies ahead for the Pistons.
“It’s going to be different than last year because we have more experience and just a better team and better feeling for our system and everything, and we’ve got a little more of a chip on our shoulder than last year,” Cunningham said.
Against the Pacers, Cunningham logged 14 assists while taking a bit of a backseat as a scorer. Instead, the All-Star shined in a playmaking capacity and helped set his teammates up with clean looks all game long. Towards the end of the fourth quarter, the Pacers mounted a slight comeback to make the game look more respectable, but Cunningham and the Pistons were able to fend off Indiana for a double-digit win.
“We’ve had a lot of fun this year, for sure,” Cunningham said. “We’ve bonded off the court, we’ve taken care of each other. I hear it from other guys who haven’t been with this team their whole careers like me and some of the other guys, that you don’t find this everywhere.”
The Pistons’ mantra is “together all the time, all the time together,” and Cunningham is a walking demonstration of what that phrase entails. In fact, the floor general personified that approach by collecting over a dozen assists against the Pacers on Sunday.
With the first seed in the Eastern Conference already locked up, the Pistons have five days off while the play-in games are sorted out. From there, Detroit will kick off their postseason journey this weekend after taking a few days to rest up before facing the winner of either the Charlotte Hornets or Miami Heat matchup.
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