Cade Cunningham had 29 points and nine assists and the host Detroit Pistons held off the Portland Trail Blazers, 122-116, on Friday.
Jalen Duren contributed 18 points and eight rebounds and Ron Holland II had 17 points off the bench. Ausar Thompson supplied 15 points and Duncan Robinson added 14 with seven rebounds for the Pistons.
Deni Avdija led the Trail Blazers with 35 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Jerami Grant fired in 29 points and Shaedon Sharpe had 28.
There were 64 fouls called and 83 free throws attempted in the contest.
Detroit scored the first five points of the quarter, including three from Cunningham, for an 89-85 lead. The Pistons clung to a slim lead until the Trail Blazers scored 11 unanswered points to take a 108-103 lead. Grant had a four-point play during that span and Avdija capped it with a midrange shot.
Robinson’s 3-pointer with 2:35 left tied it at 110-all. Cunningham gave the Pistons the lead with a layup after a Portland turnover and Robinson knocked down another 3-pointer following another Blazers turnover. Robinson’s free throws with 1:15 left made it 117-110.
Portland couldn’t get closer than four the rest of the way.
Detroit went on a 13-2 run in the second quarter to gain a 49-38 lead. Harris had five points and an assist during that span.
The Pistons soon pushed the lead to 13 but the Trail Blazers responded with a 13-4 run to pull within four. Avdija had a hand in all of those Portland points, scoring seven and assisting on three baskets.
Cunningham was fouled on a 3-point try in the final second of the quarter and made all three free throws, giving Detroit a 65-58 halftime lead. Duren led the Pistons at the break with 16 points, while Avdija paced the Trail Blazers with 19.
Portland had a 7-0 spurt midway through the third quarter to take a 73-72 lead. The Trail Blazers were still up by one, 85-84, entering the fourth.
–Field Level Media
