CUNNINGHAM’S 29 MOTORS PISTONS
Cade Cunningham scored 18 of his career-high 29 points in the third quarter to help the Detroit Pistons erase a 22-point deficit and beat the visiting Utah Jazz 126-116 on Monday night.
Pistons 126, Jazz 116
“I have to give all the credit to my teammates, who kept encouraging me and getting me the ball,” said Cunningham, who made 10 of his last 12 shots after an 0-5 start. “I’m new to this league, but I’ve been playing basketball for a long time. I know what I’m capable of doing to help a team win once I get into a rhythm.”
Saddiq Bey added 29 points for Detroit, which is 4-2 in 2022 after finishing 2021 with 18 losses in 19 games. Lead assistant coach Rex Kalamian took charge with coach Dwane Casey having entered COVID-19 protocol.
“That’s the first game ball I’ve gotten in 28 years,” said Kalamian, who has been an NBA assistant coach since 1995. “I wanted to get the win for the players, but it is a great feeling to get my first one as a head coach.”
Donovan Mitchell scored 31 points for Utah, and Hassan Whiteside had a seasonhigh 21 points as well as 14 rebounds.
“Give them credit, because they did a lot of good things in the second half, but we didn’t do much right at all in the second half,” Mitchell said.
Utah (28-13), which had won 10 straight against the Pistons, led by 22 in the second quarter but was outscored 94-62 in the final 21⁄2 quarters.
76ers 111, Rockets 91: Joel Embiid had 31 points and eight rebounds to lead visiting Philadelphia over Houston for its seventh straight win.
Embiid turned in his seventh straight 30-point game and also had six assists. He was 9 of 16 from the field and made all 13 of his free throws.
He’s the second player in NBA history to score exactly 31 points in four straight games.
Trail Blazers 114, Nets 108: Anfernee Simons had 23 points and 11 assists, and host Portland took advantage of James Harden’s absence for a victory over Brooklyn.
Harden was out with a hyperextended left knee. Kyrie Irving started in his second game of the season and finished with 22 points. Kevin Durant led all scorers with 28 points and 10 rebounds for the Nets.
Celtics 101, Pacers 98 (OT): Jaylen Brown scored 26 points and Jayson Tatum had 24, carrying host Boston over Indiana in the first of a home-and-home series between the teams.
Robert Williams III had 14 points and 12 rebounds for Boston, including a key block in OT. The Celtics won for the fourth time in six games.
Hornets 103, Bucks 99: LaMelo Ball hit the go-ahead basket with 15 seconds left, Terry Rozier scored 27 points and host Charlotte beat NBA champion Milwaukee for the second time in three nights.
Ball scored 18 of his 23 points in the second half for the Hornets, who have won six of eight games.
Knicks 111, Spurs 96: RJ Barrett scored 31 points in his first home game since hitting his first career buzzer-beater, leading New York over San Antonio.
Cavaliers 109, Kings 108: Jarret Allen had 18 points and 17 rebounds, Darius Garland also had a double-double and visiting Cleveland held off Sacramento.
Notable
Denver finalized a deal with Detroit that will send big man Bol Bol to the Pistons. In exchange, the Nuggets received guard Rodney McGruder along with a 2022 second-round pick via Brooklyn.