The Detroit Pistons, who are still unbeaten in the 2024 NBA Cup, are gaining momentum. On Friday night, the Pistons defeated the Indiana Pacers 130-106 on the road, improving their NBA Cup East Group B record to 3-0. Additionally, their win improved their regular season record to 9–12.
Jaden Ivey, the shooting guard, had a fantastic performance, scoring 23 points, dishing out six assists, and pulling down five rebounds. This is one of the first times this young team has played games that have playoff-like significance. Ivey discussed the team’s mentality for every tournament game in a postgame media conference with NBA TV.
We’ve really treated this like a playoff series, in my opinion. It’s incredible that the NBA is hosting the NBA Cup. After Detroit’s victory over Indiana, Ivey said, “I think it will be really good for us to be able to get a chance to kind of feel that playoff atmosphere early in the season.” “The objective is to reach Vegas, even though we still need to win a few games before we do.”
The Pistons and the Milwaukee Bucks were tied for first position in Group B after Friday night’s victory. When the Bucks head to Little Caesars Arena to play the Pistons on Tuesday, the tie in the standings will be resolved.
Tobias Harris and Cade Cunningham make their injury comebacks.
The return of forward Tobias Harris (hip) and point guard Cade Cunningham (back) provided a much-needed boost to Detroit’s starting lineup. Cunningham played the full game, contributing 24 points, 11 assists, and six rebounds. Harris added 16 points, shooting 5-8 from the field and 2-5 from three-point range during a strong scoring performance.
Cunningham had missed the previous three games due to a back issue, and without him or Harris, Detroit’s offense struggled badly in their 131-111 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night.
It was a relief to see Cunningham and Harris back in the lineup, as their presence helped revitalize Detroit’s offense. Guard Malik Beasley led the team in scoring with 25 points after returning to his role off the bench. Center Jalen Duren also made an impact, finishing with a double-double of 14 points, 10 rebounds, and four blocks.
Ausar Thompson’s Progress
Second-year forward Ausar Thompson played around 11 minutes off the bench in the Pistons’ win over the Pacers, marking his third game of the season. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff is still easing him back into Detroit’s rotation after Thompson missed several months due to blood clots. Bickerstaff emphasized the importance of a careful approach in Thompson’s return.
“We’ll be extremely cautious. There’s no need to rush or force it,” Bickerstaff said during the pregame press conference. “Even when he first started, his initial stint was short. We don’t want him to push too hard and end up not getting the recovery he needs.”
The Pistons have relied on Thompson as their main defender when he is on the court, and he has demonstrated bursts of improvement in numerous areas. In other situations, including transition and half-court settings, his playmaking skills are still impressive. In the third quarter of this game, Thompson even demonstrated promise in his developing jump shot by making a three-pointer from the corner.
