Detroit, MI

How the Detroit Pistons suffered a rare loss to Utah Jazz

Published

4 months ago

December 27, 2025

How the Detroit Pistons suffered a rare loss to Utah Jazz

The red-hot Detroit Pistons entered Friday night’s contest against the Utah Jazz looking to continue their dominant west coast road trip, but came up short, 131–129, in a high-powered offensive duel against a middle-of-the-pack Utah Jazz.

The Pistons entered this game with the Eastern Conference’s best record, led by their exciting young star Cade Cunningham and his versatile supporting cast that have made it very difficult for many teams to find any sort of success against. That wasn’t the case this time around, as Detroit was left with the reminder that even the best of the best can suffer close losses in offensive shootouts.

The game began with the typically offensive showing from Detroit, staying relatively even with the Jazz but still allowing Utah to find ways to score against their team who rank second in the league in defensive ratings. Detroit found themselves working to undo an early deficit, which ultimately came with a late first quarter run in which they scored 20 points to Utah’s 4 points and flipped the momentum back in their favor heading into the second quarter.

The Jazz continued to give Detroit their best effort at dethroning the team to beat in the East, as Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, and Brice Sensabaugh wouldn’t let up their scoring onslaught. Detroit’s Cade Cunningham was seemingly everywhere all at once, totaling a career-best 13 total first half assists to keep his team in the game heading into halftime of a late-night dogfight.

The third quarter was where Utah did the bulk of their damage, pouring on the points behind Markkanen and Kevin Love who continued to stay hot from the free throw line while adding a few of their own deep shots from three. Piston’s Head Coach JB Bickerstaff mixed in his role players off the bench to create some sort of spark but couldn’t match Utah’s steady pace from their role players.

Ultimately, Detroit gave everything they had in the fourth quarter as they clawed their way back into this game led by Cunningham’s 29 points and 17 assists. Tied at 129 a piece with 18 seconds remaining, Utah closed out their final possession with Keyonte George’s two-point floater to take the lead, only for Detroit’s Cade Cunningham to miss his contested three point shot to finalize this game 131-129.

One key takeaway for Pistons fans is the continued need for another piece on this team, which has been a topic of discussion leading up to the NBA trade deadline. In these close games, their highly praised defensive presence could use a spark, which could lead to an addition or two over the course of the coming weeks.

Detroit’s offense still remains one of the league’s better groups but surely wouldn’t be opposed to adding another premier scorer to propel them as the season rolls on. It’ll remain a heavy topic of discussion into the new year, but for now, Detroit will look to finish their trip out west and close out 2025 against the pair of Los Angeles teams.

They’ll take on the Los Angeles Clippers at the Intuit Dome this Sunday with tip-off set for 9:00 p.m.

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Detroit, MI

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

Published

11 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.

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Detroit, MI

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

Published

23 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.

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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.

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