Cade Cunningham returned from an injury to put up 24 points and the Detroit Pistons remained unbeaten in the NBA Cup while also formally eliminating the defending runner-up with a 130-106 road win over the Indiana Pacers on Friday night.
Malik Beasley paced Detroit with 25 points, while Jaden Ivey chipped in with 23 and Tobias Harris 16 for the Pistons, who will host the Milwaukee Bucks in a duel of 3-0 teams on Tuesday night with the East Group B title on the line.
Pascal Siakam had 21 points and Tyrese Haliburton 19 for the Pacers, who fell behind by as many as 12 points in the first quarter and never caught the visitors en route to a third straight NBA Cup defeat.
Riding 57.8 percent shooting overall and 47.4 percent accuracy on 3-pointers, the Pistons ran out to as much as a 15-point lead in the second period and 21-point advantage in the third before coasting home to just the second win in their last six games.
After sitting out three consecutive games with a strained left hip, Cunningham contributed a game-high 11 assists to record his sixth consecutive double-double. He hit 10 of his 19 shots and four of his six 3-point attempts.
Beasley was even better from the field off the bench, going 10-for-14 overall while connecting five times from deep. The Pistons outscored the Pacers 54-36 from beyond the arc.
Jalen Duran also recorded a double-double for the visitors with a game-high 12 rebounds to complement 14 points and four blocks, while Tim Hardaway Jr. made it all five Pistons starters in double figures with 10 points.
The 130 points were a season-high for Detroit.
Ben Mathurin had 16 points, T.J. McConnell 12 and Jarace Walker 10 for the Pacers, who had won the first three contests on a four-game homestand. Walker also found time for five steals.
Myles Turner was Indiana’s leading rebounder with 10 to go with nine points.
Haliburton collected a team-high five assists along with his 19 points.
–Field Level Media