February 1, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) is dribbling past Brooklyn Nets center Nick Claxton (33) in the second half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Image For the first time in one of their best seasons in 20 years, the Detroit Pistons faced adversity.
The Pistons will try to snap a season-worst four-game losing streak when they visit the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night.
One of Detroit’s losses was a 107-105 loss at home to the Nets on Saturday. At the time, Detroit squandered a 23-point lead and coach JB Bickerstaff said his team “ignored the game.” The loss to Brooklyn followed a four-point loss to Cleveland and a 15-point loss to San Antonio.
Cade Cunningham did not play Saturday as the Pistons placed their star guard on the front end of a straight set. Cunningham returned Sunday and scored 26 points, but Detroit never recovered from a slow start and fell 121-110 to the Miami Heat.
The Pistons are trying to avoid a five-game losing streak for the first time since a six-game losing streak from April 1-11, 2024, the final week of a 68-loss campaign. On Sunday, Detroit shot 6 of 22 from the field in the first quarter, fell behind 34-16 in the second half and allowed more than 120 points for the ninth time this season.
“This is the first time this year that we’ve been somewhat challenged,” Bickerstaff said. “And that’s good for us, right? Adversity is good for us. It’ll just bring us closer together. This group has proven that.”
Before last week, Detroit had only lost twice in a row. This slump follows two wins against the New York Knicks and 11 wins in 13 games against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Detroit played straight sets Thursday without Osar Thompson, who injured his ankle early in Thursday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs and will be reevaluated next week.
The Nets staged an impressive comeback against the Pistons, maintaining a lead late in the first quarter and pulling away in the fourth quarter for a 126-115 home win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday.
Brooklyn is on a 4-game winning streak this season following a 10-game losing streak, and is aiming for a 3-game winning streak for the second time this season. The Nets will have Michael Porter Jr. back from rest, and he shot a season-high 51.5% (17 of 33) from 3-point range against Memphis without their leading scorer.
Dayron Sharp contributed to Saturday’s comeback by scoring nine of his 13 points in the fourth quarter, and he tied his season high with 19 points, including Brooklyn’s first seven points in a win over the Grizzlies. Ochai Agbaji added a season-high 18 points and his effort was part of a 67-point performance for the Brooklyn reserves.
“We’re trying to win every game,” Sharp said. “So it felt good to get our last win and get the win today. Nobody likes losing so we always try to win and we always bring good energy in the locker room.”
The Nets continue to give rookies Nolan Traore and Danny Wolff time in the starting lineup, and both contributed on Monday. Traore hit four 3-pointers for 17 points after scoring twice on Saturday, while Wolff reached double figures with 14 points for the fifth time in seven games.
–Field level media
