The Detroit Pistons proved in their last game they could win without their best player. That gave them a chance to have a winning homestand, which wraps up against the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday afternoon.
Detroit has a 3-2 record during the homestand, including a 125-112 thumping of the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday. The Pistons led by as many as 34 points, even though All-Star point guard Cade Cunningham was sidelined by an ankle sprain.
The Pistons scored a season-high 78 points in the first half.
“We talked about it being a collective effort that was going to get it done (Friday),” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “We had 21 assists on our first 26 field goals for the night. It doesn’t get any better than that. I thought we did a great job in that first half as a group defensively, which triggered our offense and let us get out and run. So again, hats off to the guys. I thought they were phenomenal.”
Malik Beasley, normally the team’s sixth man, started in Cunningham’s place and scored a career-high 36 points. After the Sixers pulled within 11 points with less than five minutes remaining, Beasley hit two 3-pointers to close out the victory and reach the milestone.
“(His) energy is one of one,” reserve center Isaiah Stewart said. “I’ve never met someone with his kind of energy and the way he goes on about basketball and the way he views the game. He loves moments like this when it’s time for him to step up and the spotlight is on him. We had a great feeling he was going to have a great game (Friday) and he knocked down a lot of big-time shots.”
The Pistons may need a similar performance from Beasley on Sunday if Cunningham can’t return to the lineup.
Charlotte has taken two of the first three matchups with none of those games decided by more than four points.
The Hornets snapped a six-game losing streak by defeating San Antonio, 117-116, on Friday. LaMelo Ball made a major impact after missing the previous five games due to an ankle injury. He contributed 24 points and 10 assists.
The game against the Spurs was the Hornets’ last home contest this month. The matinee in Detroit begins a stretch of nine consecutive road contests.
Getting Ball back in action gives them hope to survive that long journey.
“It’s very important,” coach Charles Lee said. “It’s important for him to get back to competing on both ends of the floor, and it’s important for the team to get used to having him back out there, because he does add a different element for us offensively. I think he helps increase our pace with his creativity offensively. And defensively, having him in a lot of different positions and different coverages and stuff.”
Rookie Dalton Knecht, previously with the Los Angeles Lakers, and former Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic could make their Hornets’ debuts on Sunday. They were acquired in separate deals prior to the trade deadline.
–Field Level Media
