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    • Detroit Pistons run out of gas in fourth quarter of 115-109 loss to Indiana Pacers
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    Detroit Pistons run out of gas in fourth quarter of 115-109 loss to Indiana Pacers

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    There was a lot of good going on in the Detroit Pistons’ season opener on Wednesday. However, they did not achieve their main goal: leaving Little Caesars Arena with a win.

    The Pistons fell 115-109 to the Indiana Pacers after being outscored by 14 points in the final period. Cade Cunningham led all players with 28 points, including 18 in the third quarter on 8-for-9 shooting. He also dished out eight assists with three turnovers. Jaden Ivey added 17 points.

    After leading by 11 at halftime, the Pistons slipped defensively as Indiana shot 61.1% in the final period. Bennedict Mathurin scored 14 of his 19 points in the fourth, Myles Turner scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds, and Pascal Siakam finished with 19 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.

    MAKE YOUR CHOICE: How many games should the Detroit Pistons win this season?

    Vets are offended early on; Cunningham then takes over

    It was a quiet first half for both Cunningham (six points on 1-for-8 shooting) and Jaden Ivey (six points, three fouls). However, it was difficult to say based on the halftime score.

    A trio of newly acquired veterans – Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. – held the Pistons level before Cunningham caught fire in the third quarter. Hardaway scored their first two buckets of the season on a pair of three-pointers, and both Harris (13 points) and Beasley (10 points) scored in double figures in the half as the Pistons took an 11-point lead, 58-47. .

    Cunningham came out swinging in the second half, knocking down his first five buckets, including a right-handed poster on Turner that brought the crowd to its feet. A scoring drought sparked an 11-1 Pacers run that briefly gave them the lead, but Cunningham finished the quarter strong, knocking down a step-back 3 just before the buzzer to cut the Pistons’ lead to eight.

    Even before finding his rhythm, Cunningham was involved as a playmaker with six first-half assists and one turnover. But the second half showed how dangerous he can be as a scorer, and it came just in time for the Pistons Wednesday.

    (MUST WATCH: Make ‘The Pistons Pulse’ your favorite Detroit Pistons podcast, available wherever you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) or watch live/on demand on YouTube. )

    The Pistons defense starts strong, but cannot hold on

    The Pacers had the NBA’s second-best offense last season, with an offensive rating of 115.1. They were also the NBA’s most efficient team, with a true shooting percentage of 60.8%. Wednesday’s opener was a big test for the Pistons’ defense. They seemed to pass the test early, but the Pacers ultimately couldn’t be contained.

    The first four minutes of the game featured perhaps the Pistons’ best defense in more than a year. Players moved on a string and physically overwhelmed the Pacers, forcing two turnovers while sticking to 1-for-5 shooting. Third-year big Jalen Duren was a key piece in the strong start, hindering shots at the rim and dominating the glass.

    Indiana shot 58.5% in the second half and took control late as the Pistons tried to manage cold spells on offense. Cunningham gave them the lead, 100-99, with a layup with just over seven minutes to play. Their next bucket didn’t come until four minutes later, and a late 3-pointer by Tyrese Haliburton with 20 seconds left sealed the opening night loss.

    Contact Omari Sankofa II at [email protected]. Follow him @omarisankofa.

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