It was far from the prettiest game, but several key players did enough to ensure the Detroit Pistons earned their 60th win of the season with a 133-121 win over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. The Pistons ballooned their lead to more than 20 points several times, but some sloppy play and hot 3-point shooting from the Pacers meant the game was only secured in the final minutes.
Detroit did most of its damage in a dominant first half, scoring a season-high 81 points. Paul Reed led all scorers with 26
points on a perfect 11-of-11 from the field and 4-of-4 from the line. It’s the most points in franchise history a Pistons player has scored on a perfect-shooting night, besting the 24 points Tony Snell scored in 2019. It’s the most any player in the NBA has scored on a perfect shooting night since Nikola Jokic scored 26 in 2023.
Tobias Harris had a very good night in limited minutes, scoring 24 on 9-of-12 from the field in just 21 minutes. He was easily able to dissect the Pacers’ defense for easy looks at the rim, and he hit all four of his three-pointers.
Cade Cunningham, in his last tune-up before the playoffs, struggled from the field. He was just 3-of-12 overall, and had some bad misses on his six threes, though he made one. But he was also able to carve up an overwheled Pacers defense. He had 14 assists, almost all in the first half, and created some astoundingly easy looks for teammates cutting to the rim.
Kevin Huerter and Isaiah Stewart had good nights off the bench, which you love to see because it seems like both of them will be primary players in the playoffs. Everyone else, not so much.
The Pistons were able to push the lead as high as 27 points, and they dominated the paint, but they could keep their cushion in place because of 17 turnovers the Pacers’ crop of young, inexperienced players were able to convert into an easy 33 points. It also didn’t help that Indiana was hot from three and willing to fire away.
Indiana was 23-0f-54 from deep on the night, with Obi Toppin and Kobe Brown leading the way. They combined to shoot 11-of-18, including seven from the veteran Toppin, all in the first half.
The Pacers were even able to cut the deficit down to six after a Jones 3-pointer made it 126-121 with 2:21 to play. But Detroit was able to respond with a Marcus Sasser three on the ensuing possession to ensure all would remain right with the world and Detroit would notch its 60th win of the season. It’s only happened two other times in Pistons franchise history, in 2005-06 when they won 64 games, and in the championship year of 1988-89 when they went 63-19.
Detroit also becomes the first team in NBA history to win 60 games two seasons after losing 60 games.
Now all attention turns to the playoffs. Detroit will host a series, but they do not yet know their opponent. It could be any of the Miami Heat, Charlotte Hornets, Philadelphia 76ers, or Orlando Magic, who are all fighting for final playoff spots in play-in games in the East.
