Detroit, MI

Tobias Harris turns it on as Detroit Pistons fight off Boston Celtics

Published

3 weeks ago

January 19, 2026

Tobias Harris turns it on as Detroit Pistons fight off Boston Celtics

Hours before Monday’s game, the Detroit Pistons got good news: Cade Cunningham was named an Eastern Conference starter in the 2026 NBA All-Star Game.

The East-leading Pistons followed that national statement with one of their own, pulling off a nail-biting win over the second-best team in the East, defeating the Boston Celtics, 104-103 at Little Caesars Arena. The nationally broadcast game featured 14 ties and nine lead changes, but the Pistons prevailed by holding the Celtics to 39.8% shooting, capped by a game-ending miss by Jaylen Brown.

Tobias Harris (25 points) lifted a Pistons offense that struggled to hit 3-pointers through most of the night. His biggest shot was a corner 3-pointer with 1:32 remaining in the game that gave the Pistons a five-point cushion, 104-99. Brown, who led all scorers with 32 points and 11 rebounds, answered with a pair of jumpers to cut the Pistons’ lead to one with 45 seconds left.

It ended up being the final basket either team hit. Cunningham missed a midrange jumper with 14 seconds left that would’ve given them a 3-point cushion, but Brown’s game-winning attempt from midrange on the other end bounced off the back of the rim, and then the front as the clock expired.

Jalen Duren added 18 points and nine rebounds, and Cunningham tallied 16 points and 14 assists. The Pistons shot just 6-for-25 from 3 through the first three periods but went 5-for-10 in the fourth while holding Boston to 7-for-20 (35%) overall.

The win gives the Pistons a 5½-game lead over the Celtics in the Eastern Conference (as well as a 3-1 season series win against Boston) with 12 games left before the All-Star break. Their next opponent isn’t nearly as competitive, as the Pistons will head to New Orleans to face the Pelicans – currently run by former Pistons execs Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver and sporting the worst record (10-35) in the Western Conference – on Wednesday (8 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network Detroit).

Pistons throw block party during second quarter

After shooting just 33.3% in the opening period, the Pistons found their offensive groove in the second — thanks to their defense. They recorded five blocks during the quarter, which got their transition game going and swung momentum in their favor.

Stewart led off the block party by swatting a two-handed poster attempt by Celtics center Neemias Queta. It was one of his most impressive blocks in a season filled with impressive blocks, a good percentage of them on dunk attempts.

It was Cunningham’s turn next, rejecting a dunk attempt by Jordan Walsh in transition. It initially was ruled a foul, but coach J.B. Bickerstaff won an ensuing challenge. The Pistons took their first lead the following possession, with a Javonte Green 3-pointer making it 35-33 with 7:16 before halftime.

Thompson followed, getting a hand on a top-of-the-key 3-point attempt by Pritchard and finishing a fastbreak dunk. The Pistons outscored the Celtics, 33-22, in the second period while holding them to 30% (6-for-20) shooting. At halftime, Boston was just 33.3% from the floor with nine turnovers, off which the Pistons scored 14 points.

After trailing by eight points midway through the first, the Pistons led 59-51 at halftime despite hitting just four of their 18 3-point attempts up to that point.

Duren dominates Celtics’ frontcourt

The fourth-year big man put together his highest-scoring game of 2026, taking advantage of the Celtics’ biggest weakness — frontcourt depth. Other than their starting center, Queta, Boston’s bigs consist of former Pistons second-round pick Luka Garza and former Michigan State big Xavier Tillman.

Duren got going early, leading the Pistons with nine points after the first quarter. Garza checked in at the 7:54 mark and picked up two quick fouls while defending Duren, and subbed back out at the 4:50 mark. The lob connection with Cunningham got going early — he tipped in one from Cunningham and from Robinson in the first, and flushed a powerful two-handed lob from Cunningham late in the third quarter to extend the Pistons’ lead to 76-73.

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

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Detroit, MI

Detroit Cody, Ferris State alum was lead official at Super Bowl LX

Published

54 minutes ago

February 9, 2026

Press Room

Detroit Cody, Ferris State alum was lead official at Super Bowl LX

article

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 08: Referee Shawn Smith looks on prior to the start of Super Bowl LX between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium on February 08, 2026 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Kevin C. Co

FOX 2 – Usually, the best officials are the ones you don’t notice in games – but Shawn Smith defies that description, although not for any controversial calls Sunday.

The backstory:

The lead official at Super Bowl LX yesterday is a Detroit Cody High School graduate and Ferris State University alum.

A 1994 graduate with a bachelor’s degree in accountancy, Smith has been an alternate referee for a couple past Super Bowls but yesterday was his first time on the field.

According to Ferris State, Smith is in his 11th season as an NFL official and 8th as referee, which is the lead official, recognizable by the white cap.

The referee manages the entire officiating crew, announces the penalties, and is the final authority on rulings.

Smith got his start officiating Pop Warner games in junior high school and also officiated flag football at Eastern Michigan University, according to Football Zebras, a release by Ferris State University said.

The former Cody Comet was recruited to run track and play football at Eastern Michigan University before transferring to Ferris State.

While at Ferris, he began to officiate high school football and later to the Division II gridiron.

At the collegiate level, Smith officiated in Conference USA, the Mid-American Conference, and the Big Ten Conference. He was hired by the NFL in 2025.

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 08: Referee Shawn Smith gives a thumbs-up prior to the start of Super Bowl LX between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium on February 08, 2026 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ke

The Source: Information for this report is through Ferris State University.

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Detroit, MI

Where is Super Bowl 61? Detroit Lions target time, channel and odds

Published

13 hours ago

February 9, 2026

Press Room

Where is Super Bowl 61? Detroit Lions target time, channel and odds

Well, now that Super Bowl 60 is over – the Seattle Seahawks triumphed over the New England Patriots, 29-13, for their second Lombardi Trophy – it’s time for Detroit Lions fans to start dreaming of Super Bowl 61.

The Lions have four NFL titles, but they remain the only NFL franchise that has existed for all 60 years of the Super Bowl era not to have made the big game. (The Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars also have never made the Super Bowl.)

So where (and when) should confident Lions fans be booking their tickets for now?

Super Bowl 61 is scheduled for Feb. 14, 2027, and will be televised on ABC and ESPN. A good sign for Lions fans? ABC’s previous Super Bowl broadcast was in 2006 and also involve Detroit – when Ford Field hosted the Seahawks and the Pittsburgh Steelers (who were victorious). 2027 will also be the first Super Bowl broadcast by ESPN.

The 2026 NFL season will feature the first Super Bowl played on Valentine’s Day, as the season won’t kick off until Sept. 10, and will end on Jan. 10.

Where is Super Bowl 61?

The 2027 Super Bowl will be played at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. It’ll be the ninth Super Bowl in the Los Angeles area, and the second played at SoFi; in the first, the Los Angeles Rams – led by ex-Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford – were the victors in their home stadium over the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Lions are 1-2 in franchise history at SoFi Stadium, which is home to both the Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers – 0-2 against their fellow NFC squad, the Rams, and 1-0 against the AFC’s Chargers.

Here’s what else you need to know about next year’s Super Bowl:

Super Bowl 2027 channel

Kickoff: 6:30 p.m. ET.

Channel: ABC, ESPN.

The Super Bowl between the AFC and NFC champions will be televised on ABC and ESPN and can be streamed on ESPN+.

Super Bowl 2027 odds

The Lions have the fifth-best odds to reach Super Bowl 61 per DraftKings sportsbook. What do the odds mean? A $1 bet on the Rams would yield a profit of $9.50 if they were to win it all next season. Likewise, a $1 bet on the Dolphins would yield a $200 profit.

Odds from DraftKings as of Jan. 28, subject to change.

Rams: +950

Seahawks: +950

Bills: +1000

Patriots: +1200

Eagles: +1300

Lions: +1300

Packers: +1400

Ravens: +1400

Chargers: +1500

Chiefs: +1500

49ers: +1600

Broncos: +1800

Texans: +1900

Jaguars: +2000

Bears: +2200

Bengals: +2200

Cowboys: +3500

Buccaneers: +4000

Colts: +5000

Commanders: +5000

Vikings: +5500

Steelers: +6000

Giants: +7000

Falcons: +8000

Panthers: +9000

Saints: +9000

Titans: +11000

Browns: +13000

Jets: +15000

Raiders: +15000

Cardinals: +20000

Dolphins: +20000

Odds are courtesy of BetMGM as of Saturday, Feb. 7.

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Detroit, MI

Detroit Pistons players, front office confident as trade deadline passes

Published

1 day ago

February 8, 2026

Press Room

Detroit Pistons players, front office confident as trade deadline passes

Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon said he took some calls ahead of the NBA trade deadline on Thursday. CBS News Detroit’s Rachel Hopmayer reports on the only move the team made and why the organization has confidence in their core players.

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