Detroit, MI

Detroit Pistons move back above .500 with Cade Cunningham triple-double vs. Raptors

Published

1 year ago

January 11, 2025

Detroit Pistons move back above .500 with Cade Cunningham triple-double vs. Raptors

The Detroit Pistons have been one of the league’s brightest teams for nearly a month. They added to their in-season turnaround with another victory on Saturday night.

The Pistons defeated the Toronto Raptors at Little Caesars Arena, 123-114. With the win, the Pistons are back above .500 at 20-19, cracking the 20-win threshold for the first time since 2021-22 — with 43 games still on the schedule. They’ve won six of seven games and nine of their past 11. (It was also their fifth straight win over the Raptors.)

Cade Cunningham secured his seventh triple-double of the season with 22 points, 17 assists (one shy of his career-high) and 10 rebounds. Tim Hardaway Jr. finished with a season-high 27 points, shooting 9-for-12 overall and 7-for-8 from 3, and Tobias Harris added 17 points and seven rebounds.

The Pistons led by 13 in the first quarter, but it was otherwise a close game for most of the night. Toronto tied the game at 32 by the end of the first, and there were 16 lead changes and 10 ties. Even though the Pistons shot 52.4% overall and 57.6% from 3, the Raptors kept within distance by scoring 23 points off 17 Pistons turnovers.

With under five minutes remaining and trailing by two, Toronto’s Jacob Poeltl and RJ Barrett missed a pair of free throws apiece on back-to-back possessions. Cunningham then gave the Pistons a 113-109 cushion with a midrange jumper.

With 2:31 left, a dunk from Jalen Duren extended their lead to six, and Malik Beasley’s 3-point dagger with 1:44 on the clock pushed the lead to 118-111, virtually clinching the win.

Hardaway erupts in return

The Pistons’ certainly missed Hardaway’s scoring punch on Thursday, when they just couldn’t muster enough offense during a home loss to the Golden State Warriors. He put together one of his best performances of the season during his return Saturday.

Hardaway was on fire from the jump, knocking down all three of his 3-point attempts in the opening quarter, and two within the opening minutes. He hit two more in the closing minutes of the second half, helping the Pistons regain the lead after a Raptors push made them face their first deficit of the night, 56-54, with 2:44 to play until halftime.

The third period was his strongest — he knocked down all four of his attempts, including two 3-pointers, for 11 points in the quarter. He gave the Pistons the lead twice early in the third with his sixth 3-pointer, and a strong drive through contact that created an opportunity for a three-point play.

It was his second time in three games scoring at least 26 points, and his seven made 3-pointers were a season-high.

Bickerstaff donates to Los Angeles fire victims

Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff opened his pregame press conference with words of support for the victims of the fires in Los Angeles that struck the Palisades, among other areas. He matched his words with his actions, as well.

He agreed to donate $500 toward relief efforts for every assist the Pistons tallied on Saturday. Throughout the game, the Pistons displayed a QR code for NBA Cares on the video board at center court, directing fans toward resources such as American Red Cross and World Central Kitchen.

“I just wanted to take some time to acknowledge what’s going on in the Los Angeles area, and the families and people and how they’re impacted,” Bickerstaff said. “I was moved to this reading some stuff that JJ Redick was going through, Steve Kerr’s family and community is going through, and I just want to make sure we take this time to find a way to support one another the best way we possibly can. The people that are going through these things, how all of us can do something, no matter what it is, to just reach out and help humanity at this point.”

Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on X @omarisankofa.

Source link

Click to comment

Detroit, MI

Former Piston shows Detroit what they’re missing as he dominates next to LeBron

Published

3 hours ago

April 19, 2026

Press Room

Former Piston shows Detroit what they’re missing as he dominates next to LeBron

The Pistons have made recent moves to add more shooting, but still don’t have anyone quite as lethal as former Detroit guard Luke Kennard. On Saturday night, Kennard had a brilliant start to his postseason with 27 uber-efficient points for the Lakers in a win against the Rockets. His level of 3-point accuracy is something the Pistons have desperately been seeking all season long to bolster their offense.

Luke Kennard’s shooting makes him a dangerous playoff performer

Kennard was originally drafted to Detroit with the 17th pick of the 2017 Draft. The Pistons have plenty of draft regrets from that general era of team history, but picking Kennard has never been one of them. Despite any other weaknesses he may have, his strength as a shooter has always been enough to offset them.

In terms of pure 3-point percentage, Kennard is one of the best shooters in NBA history. He averages 44% behind the arc for his career, and shot a blistering 48% this season – the best mark in the league. Given his incredible track record, it’s not exactly a shocker to see him shoot 5-of-5 from three en route to 27 points in Game 1.

Not only is Kennard obviously an excellent standstill shooter, but he’s also a master of getting himself open with his movement. On Saturday night, he was able to play off LeBron James perfectly for a few easy looks. After that, he caught enough of a rhythm to create 3-point looks for himself, even in transition.

A player like Kennard is easily capable of turning an entire playoff game when he gets hot. In a close series, that one game where Kennard hits several threes can be all the difference his team needs to advance. If the Lakers do manage to win this series, even without Luka Doncic or Austin Reaves, Kennard’s shooting will be a major reason why.

The Pistons could use someone like Kennard

Kennard would be a perfect marginal addition for the Pistons that only makes them better without taking anything away from the team. To be fair, the Pistons do have two shooters who have been hot recently in Duncan Robinson and Kevin Huerter. But having more than one respected shooter on the court at a time is often necessary to maintain a solid offense in today’s NBA.

Given the Pistons’ current lack of shooting, any additional shooters are welcome. And Kennard is understandably one of the most feared shooters in the league, capable of bending defenses just by the threat of him taking a three. Rolling him out on the Pistons would surely open up more lanes for Detroit’s stars to attack the paint and score easier points.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Source link

Detroit, MI

Troopers arrest Detroit woman after drive-by shooting on I-94

Published

15 hours ago

April 18, 2026

Press Room

Troopers arrest Detroit woman after drive-by shooting on I-94

A Detroit woman was arrested in the aftermath of a hit-and-run collision and shooting on Interstate 94, Michigan State Police reported.

Emergency dispatchers were called shortly after midnight Saturday about the altercation. Troopers reported the caller said while they were driving eastbound on I-94, near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, a black Jeep sideswiped them and sped off.

The caller then decided to follow the Jeep.

In response, police said, the driver of the Jeep fired several gunshots in the caller’s direction.

None of the gunshots struck the vehicle.

Troopers were able to use license plate reader camera technology to locate the Jeep while it was on the Lodge Freeway, made a traffic stop. The driver and two passengers were taken into custody without incident.

The passengers were released shortly afterwards; troopers believe that the 19-year-old driver was the shooter. She has been lodged pending further review by the prosecutor’s office.

In addition, a firearm was recovered from the vehicle.

The above video originally aired on Aug. 19, 2025.

In:

Source link

Detroit, MI

Orlando Magic vs Detroit Pistons odds for NBA playoffs Game 1 Sunday

Published

1 day ago

April 18, 2026

Press Room

Orlando Magic vs Detroit Pistons odds for NBA playoffs Game 1 Sunday

Who is favored in the NBA playoffs odds for Game 1 between the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic?

Here’s what you need to know about NBA playoff betting odds for the NBA game between the No. 8 seed Magic and No. 1 seed Pistons, which is being played on Sunday, April 19, 2026.

What is the point spread for the Pistons vs Magic game?

What is the moneyline for the Magic vs Pistons game?

What is the over/under (point total) for betting on the first-round NBA playoff matchup?

Watch Magic at Pistons on Peacock

Magic vs Pistons odds: What is point spread?

According to BetMGM Sportsbook, the Detroit Pistons are an 8.5-point favorite over the Orlando Magic in Game 1 of their NBA Playoffs series.

Pistons vs Magic odds: What is moneyline?

BetMGM Sportsbook lists Detroit as -375 on the moneyline for the first-round NBA playoff game. It has Orlando at +290.

Magic vs Pistons odds: What is over/under?

The point total for the opening game of the NBA playoffs series between the Pistons and Magic is listed at 218.5 points, per BetMGM Sportsbook.

Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.

Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today. Sign up for azcentral Preps Now. And be sure to subscribe to our daily sports newsletters so you don’t miss a thing.

Source link