The Detroit Pistons defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 128-112 in their preseason opener on Monday, at FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee. Cade Cunningham led the Motor City squad with 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting.
Memphis jumped out to a 42-24 lead after the first quarter behind Ty Jerome’s 16 points and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s 15. The Grizzlies connected on 40.9% of their shots overall, including 40.8% from three.
Detroit flipped the script in the second quarter with a 50-point outburst to take a 74-64 halftime edge. The Pistons forced 18 turnovers from the hosts while committing 22 themselves.
Isaiah Stewart contributed 12 points and four rebounds for the visitors in the win. Tobias Harris added 13 points off the bench, including a key dunk late in the second period.
Jaylen Wells scored nine points for Memphis, hitting three threes early. Jock Landale tallied nine points and seven rebounds before fouling out.
Cunningham dished four assists and grabbed three boards to go with his scoring. His 26-foot three-pointer at the 3:20 mark of the second quarter sparked an 11-0 run that erased the deficit.
The third quarter saw Detroit extend the lead to 97-88, thanks to 14 second-chance points. Paul Reed pulled down 12 rebounds off the bench for the Pistons.
Memphis cut the gap to three late in the third on a 26-foot three from PJ Hall. The Grizzlies managed 38 total rebounds but struggled with just 24 points in the paint.
In the fourth, Detroit’s bench erupted for 31 points to seal the victory. Chaz Lanier drained three threes for 11 points in limited minutes.
Duncan Robinson chipped in 10 points, including two threes during the second-quarter surge. His steal and assist to Cunningham fueled the momentum shift.
The Pistons dominated fast-break points 26-10 and scored 71 in the paint. They shot 53.3% from the field and 35.9% from deep.
Memphis leaned on 13 three-pointers but turned it over 18 times. Scotty Pippen Jr. added 13 points off the bench for the home team.
Detroit’s depth shone with 55 total rebounds and 29 assists. Cunningham’s all-around play set the tone for the young core.
