The Detroit Pistons ended a years-long losing streak while continuing an historic winning streak for the franchise in a single matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Entering Saturday night’s matchup at Fiserv Forum, the Pistons had won 11 straight games — two shy of the franchise’s record — but also faced a Bucks team that had downed Detroit in 13 straight meetings and 25 of the last 26.
With a 129-116 victory over Milwaukee, the Pistons pushed their NBA-best winning streak to 12 consecutive games and ended their poor run of form against the recent standard-bearer of the Central Division.
Star guard Cade Cunningham featured with 29 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds, while center Jalen Duren added 19 points and a returning Tobias Harris posted another 18.
This was the Pistons’ first win over the Bucks since Jan. 3, 2022.
The Pistons shot out to an early lead as Ausar Thompson finished in the paint twice and Cunningham got going with a step-back three.
Team ball was the name of the game as the Pistons worked into the paint and tried to find open shots on the outside. Detroit was +14 in the paint and shot 53% from deep (16-of-30).
While five Pistons scored multiple times in the first quarter, the Bucks were getting a starring first 12 minutes out of Bobby Portis, who went 4-of-4 from beyond the arc in the period.
Milwaukee, playing without star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, kept things close until taking a 33-32 two minutes into the second quarter that set off a huge run from the Pistons’ bench performers.
Guard Daniss Jenkins and wing Javonte Green combined for a 14-0 run each scoring seven points with Jenkins assisting on two of Green’s makes and getting the steal that led to his third basket.
The Pistons continued to keep the Bucks at arm’s length until finishing the half on an 11-2, highlighted by Jaden Ivey’s first three-point make since returning from injury.
The 23-year-old guard returned to the court in a regular season game for the first time since Jan. 1 as he’s dealt with a season-ending leg injury and then discomfort in his knee during the preseason that led to a prolonged absence.
Ivey finished with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting with two assists, one steal and one rebound in 16 minutes.
With Cunningham pacing the offense — scoring 15 points with seven assists — the Pistons grabbed a 69-52 lead at halftime.
Detroit continued building out their lead in the second half as Duren hounded the paint for eight points in the third quarter.
Despite the Pistons going up by as much as 29, the Bucks kept pace late with five players finishing in double digits, including a team-high 24 from Ryan Rollins.
Even though the Bucks threatened to go on a few runs, the lead never went below 13 in the second half with the Pistons taking advantage of Milwaukee mistakes with 30 points off of 17 turnovers.
BOX SCORE
Up next: The Pistons continue their road swing and try to tie the franchise’s winning-streak record on Monday against the Indiana Pacers.
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.