February 1, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) is dribbling while defending Brooklyn Nets guard Nolan Traore (88) in the second half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Image The Detroit Pistons will try to avoid their first three-game losing streak of the season on Saturday. The good news is that the mighty Brooklyn Nets are coming to town.
The Eastern Conference leaders lost Tuesday at Cleveland and Thursday at San Antonio. The Pistons never led against the Spurs in a game dominated by third-year big man Victor Wembanyama. He dominated the lane with 38 points, 16 rebounds, and 5 blocks.
“It’s hard to defend, especially when you get the shot to start the game,” Pistons coach JB Bickerstaff said. “This is a great opportunity for us to learn when we play a team of this level. It’s a great opportunity for us to test ourselves and learn what we need to learn. This is what it is for us.”
Pistons guard Cade Cunningham led the team with 26 points and eight assists, but fellow All-Star Jalen Duren played only 12 minutes due to foul trouble. More concerning was the loss of starting forward Ausar Thompson, who did not return after rolling his right ankle in the first quarter.
He did not play in Saturday’s game.
“Ausar means a lot to us,” Bickerstaff said. “We missed what he could do defensively and the impact he had. We just had to find a way to get it all together, which I thought we did at times. But again, if you allow them to score 38 points (in the first quarter) to start the game, it’s not going to be an easy night.”
Detroit has suffered just three straight losses this season. Before this week, the most recent mini-losing streaks came against Utah and the Los Angeles Clippers in late December.
The Pistons have won five straight against Brooklyn this season, including two blowout losses. They had a 125-107 road win on November 7th and a 130-77 win at home on February 1st. The latter was the largest winning margin in franchise history.
The Nets are doing everything they can to maximize their odds of winning a high lottery prize. By the time the Pacers visit the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night, they had lost 10 straight games, tying Indiana with the second-worst record in the league.
Brooklyn’s last two consecutive losses have come in Miami, where the Heat won 124-98 on Tuesday and 126-110 on Thursday.
Coach Jordi Fernandez called up his starting lineup after the first loss. He felt his team was sharper on Thursday.
“We got better today,” he said. “Obviously it wasn’t what we wanted and we had a loss. But starting with the first group, the way they compete, that’s what I want to see. If we put the two groups together, good things will happen and I think we’re taking the right steps.”
The Nets will now try to erase the embarrassment they felt after their last trip to Detroit.
“Go get the next one,” Fernandez said. “I’m going to work (Friday). I’m going to watch film. The environment is going to be positive. We’re going to get the job done, get 1 percent better and then compete against Detroit and the next game and the next game.”
–Field level media
