Reserve Ron Holland II sparked a dominant third quarter with 12 of his season-high 18 points for the Detroit Pistons, who took control en route to a 110-94 victory over the winless Brooklyn Nets on Friday in New York in an NBA Cup game.
After shooting 28.6% in his first five games, Holland made 4 of 5 shots in the third when the Pistons outscored Brooklyn 36-17.
With Cade Cunningham getting a rest, Holland sank a pair of free throws, a layup and a pair of 3s in a span of 2:32 that turned a 75-61 lead into an 87-64 advantage with 2:20 left in the third.
Cunningham led the Pistons with 20 points, including seven straight for Detroit shortly before Holland helped finish things off.
Duncan Robinson contributed 10 of his 17 points in the second quarter when the Pistons erased a 10-point deficit by outscoring Brooklyn 35-21. Paul Reed contributed 12 points and Ausar Thompson chipped in 11 points, eight rebounds and six assists as Detroit shot 42.2% from the field and made 12 of 41 3s.
The Nets remained the Eastern Conference’s lone winless team and are off to their second straight 0-5 start. Last season, Brooklyn dropped seven straight to start a 20-62 campaign.
The Sacramento Kings (0-5) are the NBA’s other winless team after the first full week of the season.
Moritz Wagner led the Nets with 16 points, but Brooklyn shot 40.3% from the field, missed 26 of 37 3-point tries and allowed 25 points off 24 turnovers. Julius Randle scored 15 points but shot 4 of 13 from the field. Michael Porter Jr. finished with 13 points.
Randle and Wagner combined for 15 points as the Nets held Detroit to 7-of-19 shooting and took a 28-21 lead through the opening quarter. Detroit held a 56-49 halftime lead after John Collins dunked, Javonte Green sank a 3 late in the shot clock and Thompson converted a reverse layup in the final 75 seconds.
Detroit took its first double-digit lead when Reed hit a layup and Robinson hit a three and a layup to make it 65-52 less than two minutes into the third. Cunningham’s basket made it 72-59 before Holland put the game out of reach.
–Field Level Media
