ROOKIE Cade Cunningham set a career best with 29 points and the host Detroit Pistons rallied from a 22-point deficit to defeat the Utah Jazz 126-116 on Monday.
Cunningham, the top pick in the draft, scored all but five of his points after halftime. He also dished out eight of Detroit’s 30 assists. Saddiq Bey matched Cunningham with 29 points, while Cory Joseph contributed 16 points off the bench. Trey Lyles added 14 points, six rebounds and five assists.
Donovan Mitchell led the Jazz, who have lost three straight, with 31 points. Hassan Whiteside contributed 21 points and 14 rebounds, and Jordan Clarkson tossed in 16 points.
Utah was missing five players who were in the league’s health and safety protocol, including starting center Rudy Gobert. Rex Kalamian coached the Pistons after head coach Dwane Casey entered the protocol earlier in the day.
In other games, it was the Trail Blazers 114, Nets 108; Celtics 101, Pacers 98 (OT); 76ers 111, Rockets 91; Hornets 103, Bucks 99; Knicks 111, Spurs 96; and Cavaliers 109, Kings 108.
Trail Blazers 114, Nets 108
Anfernee Simons totaled 23 points and a career-high 11 assists as host Portland executed down the stretch and turned back Brooklyn.
Robert Covington added 21 points as the Blazers won for the third time in five games and were without Damian Lillard (abdominal injury). Ben McLemore scored 20 points and hit two of his five 3-pointers in the final 96 seconds.
Kevin Durant collected 28 points and 10 rebounds for the Nets, who lost for the fifth time in seven games. Kyrie Irving added 22 but shot 9 of 21 in his second game of the season. The unvaccinated guard is only eligible to play road games due to New York’s vaccine mandate.
Celtics 101, Pacers 98 (OT)
Jaylen Brown finished with 26 points, a career-high 15 rebounds and six assists as host Boston held off Indiana for its second straight win and fourth in six games.
