Detroit Pistons Extend Winning Streak to Six with 123-113 Victory Over Philadelphia 76ers
DETROIT – The Detroit Pistons secured their sixth consecutive win on sunday, defeating the Philadelphia 76ers 123-113, fueled by a dominant second-half performance. Cade cunningham led the Pistons with 34 points, while Jalen Duren contributed 21 points and 16 rebounds. The victory elevates detroit’s record to 8-2,positioning them second in the Eastern Conference standings behind only the Oklahoma City Thunder.
A pivotal moment in the game came with under two minutes remaining when Cunningham delivered a spectacular dunk over 76ers center andre Drummond, helping to stifle a late rally attempt by Tyrese Maxey (32 points, seven assists) and the 76ers (6-4).
“Man, he coudl get one of those every game,” Duren said with a smile. “I don’t know why he doesn’t. But I love it. I mean, I’ve seen a lot of that. His game speaks for itself.”
Duren further praised Cunningham, stating, ”I continue to say [he’s the] best guard in the NBA, so he’s going to make plays like that.”
Duren’s performance marked the sixth time this season he has scored over 20 points.His current average of 19.4 points per game represents a significant increase from his 11.8 points per game last season and 13.8 points per game in 2023-24. He also added two steals and two blocks to his stat line, reinforcing his impact on Detroit’s third-ranked defence.
“He’s been dominant,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “The way he helps us protect the rim, the job he does on the boards, the threat that he is in the pick-and-roll and in the pocket… he’s a guy that can connect our group, too. He’s another guy who can facilitate and playmake, and then he’s an elite communicator, which has been a huge growth for him defensively. He’s talking to guys, always in the right spot, so I thoght he was grate again tonight.”
Both Cunningham and Duren were key members of the Pistons team that endured a 14-68 season two years ago. reflecting on the team’s progress, Duren expressed optimism, stating, “I think sky’s the limit. I think we keep following J.B.,keep working hard,keep defending,keep playing together… I think sky’s the limit at that point.”
Cunningham emphasized his unwavering self-belief as a driving force, adding, “Yeah, I mean, more than anything, my faith in myself, knowing that I was going to be triumphant in the NBA, knowing that I was going to do everything it took to be successful. And I got lucky and fell into a franchise in the city that has the same mentality that I felt like it took for me to take the next step.” He also cautioned against complacency, stating, “I’m not above myself as we’re 8-2. I think this [success] is something that we all want, but we want something bigger than this. So we just want to keep our heads down and keep working.”
