Detroit — The Pistons hosted the Dallas Mavericks and two of the NBA’s most gifted scorers on Saturday night.
Luka Doncic, one of the leading candidates for this season’s MVP, and his running mate Kyrie Irving used the full range of their offensive skills to propel the Mavericks to a 142-124 victory over the Pistons.
Pistons guard Cade Cunningham traded shots for shots with Doncic throughout the first half, but dynamic shooting from Doncic and Irving was too much for the Pistons, especially without Ausar Thompson’s defensive presence for most of it Match.
Doncic exploded for a game-high 39 points with 10 rebounds and 10 assists to help beat the Pistons, who fell to 10-53 on the season. He became the first player in NBA history to post five consecutive 35-point triple-doubles. Once Doncic grabbed his 10th rebound with 3:14 left, fans inside Little Caesars Arena erupted in cheers. Irving added 21 points, three rebounds and five assists.
When the Pistons did their best to keep the ball out of the hands of Dallas’ dynamic duo, it created opportunities for other Mavericks players. Tim Hardaway Jr., a former Michigan Wolverine, added 17 points coming off the bench. Daniel Gafford had 17 points and seven rebounds.
Cunningham scored 24 points in the first half of Saturday’s game, but was held to nine in the second half. He totaled 33 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists while shooting 11 of 21 from the field. Simone Fontecchio had the best game of her young career with 27 points coming off the bench. Jaden Ivey scored 17 points with six rebounds and four assists.
BOX SCORE: Mavericks 142, Pistons 124
The Mavericks were the only team the Pistons had not faced this season and Pistons coach Monty Williams stressed the importance of limiting Doncic as much as possible, especially from the free throw line. Doncic took 10 trips to the field and capitalized on nine of those giveaways.
“We just couldn’t score,” Williams said. “I think we had seven turnovers in the third quarter. Nobody played defense. They didn’t do it. We didn’t do it – the whole game. We just turned it around in the third quarter .In the first half, they hit a lot of tough shots and we were in our plans correctly. They hit some tough shots on a smaller guy who was hitting the rim.
Fontecchio could not fail to start the match. He started the game by knocking down his first three 3-point attempts, including a desperation floater to beat the shot clock in the final seconds of the first quarter. The sophomore forward held up three fingers on each hand in celebration. His first missed shot of the night came on what should have been an easy layup, created by Thompson’s point guard. Fontecchio made four of his five 3-point attempts and knocked down all five of his free throw attempts.
“It was good, but I wanted to win,” Fontecchio said of his career high. “I wanted to get two wins in a row, especially now that we are at home. I think we have to take advantage of it. I don’t care much about my career scoring record. Like I said another time, I want to do whatever it takes to help the team.”
Thompson’s time was limited Saturday due to an illness he played with the past two games. He was tired and out of breath throughout his 11 minutes of action. He left the game at 8:28 of the second quarter and did not return. He finished with four points and four rebounds on 1-of-7 shooting. Thompson started the game defending Doncic and forced him into a few turnovers. Doncic committed four of his six turnovers in the first quarter.
“Definitely a lot,” Fontecchio said when asked what impact Thompson’s absence had on the game. “I had to keep him after. (Thompson) is an elite defender and it was a shame he had to leave. I hope it’s nothing serious. I didn’t get the chance to talk to him.”
For the third game in a row, Jalen Duren had to sit on the bench early due to a foul problem. The second-year big man was whistled for his second personal foul less than four minutes into the game. Williams inserted backup center James Wiseman into the game. Duren was visibly frustrated by the initial whistles and threw a seat cushion once he sat on the bench. He picked up his fourth foul 16 seconds into the third quarter after committing an offensive foul. Wiseman made the most of his extended opportunity with a double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds.
At 7:03 of the fourth quarter, Duren was involved in a scuffle with Mavericks forward PJ Washington. Duren appeared to foul Gafford — the foul was given to Jaden Ivey — and Washington responded by poking the Pistons center in the chest. Duren returned the favor and the two had to be separated. Both players received technical fouls, but Duren received an additional technical foul and was ejected. He finished with six points, eight rebounds and three assists.
Detroit split the first two games of its six-game home stretch against teams fighting for a playoff spot. It will host the Charlotte Hornets – a team it has beaten twice this season – on Monday night.
The last time Doncic faced the Pistons on January 30, 2023, he scored 53 points. He only needed 39 points this time, which is slightly higher than his career average of 35.7 points against the Pistons. This mark is the highest scoring average of any individual opponent in Pistons franchise history.
The Pistons will meet the Mavericks again in Dallas on the final trip of the season. The game is scheduled for April 12, two days before the regular season finale in San Antonio.
@MikeACurtis2
