With the Dallas Mavericks missing key members of their front court, Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren took the opportunity to deliver a big-time performance.
Duren scored a career-high 33 points with 11 rebounds to lead the Pistons past the Mavericks Saturday night in Mexico City, 122-110.
Cade Cunningham added his third double-double of the season with 21 points and tying his career-high 18 assists to go with six rebounds and three steals. He became the first Piston with 20-plus points, 18-plus assists and three-plus steals since Isiah Thomas in 1986.
The Pistons (4-2) started fairly well offensively, shooting 7-of-10 out of the gate, relying almost entirely on beating the Mavericks front court in the paint.
It worked to great effect with Duren scoring 17 points in the first half and the Pistons eventually scoring 72 total points in the paint for the night.
Still, the Pistons kept their trend of failing to lead at the end of the first quarter through their sixth game of the season, albeit only a three-point deficit after 12 minutes.
Dallas (2-4) opened the second quarter big with D’Angelo Russell scoring eight points in a matter of a few minutes. But the Pistons finally founds some rhythm behind Cunningham, Duren and Tobias Harris, who combined for 22 points in the second quarter.
The Pistons surged out to a double-digit lead off a 21-2 run that forced a timeout from Dallas after Ausar Thompson’s emphatic corner three.
Offense washed up late in the half and the Mavericks managed their own lengthy run to outscore Detroit 17-5 in the final three-and-a-half minutes to take a 61-59 advantage into the locker room.
Another 13 from Russell — who finished with 31 points for the night — in the third offset Duren and Cunningham’s damage in the period and the Mavericks led by six going into the final 12 minutes.
The teams went back and forth in the early parts of the quarter, but leave it to veteran Isaiah Stewart to deliver a game-shifting block on Caleb Martin, which Cunningham quickly turned into a go-ahead three-pointer for Javonte Green.
Duncan Robinson and Thompson, scoring 18 and 15 points, respectively, helped push the Pistons to the finish line with some crafty finishes in the paint late in a game that featured 16 lead changes.
Cunningham nailed the dagger three-pointer in the final minute to push the Pistons out to their best start since the 2018-2019 season where they also began 4-2.
BOX SCORE
Up next: The Pistons remain on the road to face the Memphis Grizzlies Monday night.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.