DETROIT — The Pistons are a different team when their shots are falling and they’re taking care of the ball. They’re pretty much the same team that they’ve shown all season when they turn the ball over and don’t shoot well.
Those two extremes were the story of an encouraging first half, then a flip-the-script third quarter that helped the Oklahoma City Thunder erase a double-digit lead in the third quarter and get within three points in the fourth quarter.
The Pistons seemed to regain control midway through the fourth quarter, but the Thunder rallied for a stunning 114-103 victory on Monday night at Little Caesars Arena.
Cade Cunningham had a career-high 28 points with 12 rebounds and six assists, Jerami Grant 20 points, five rebounds and five assists and Saddiq Bey 15 points and seven rebounds for the Pistons (4-19), who lost their ninth straight game.
The Pistons led, 81-72, entering the fourth quarter and padded the margin with an opening 3-pointer by Trey Lyles. The Thunder rattled off nine straight points, with a lay-in by Josh Giddey (12 points and four assists) and a dunk by Kenrich Williams.
Oklahoma City kept chipping away, with a cut by Williams pulling them within 90-86 at the 6:36 mark. Cunningham answered a 3-pointer by Luguentz Dort (28 points), but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (30 points and 13 assists) hit another jumper to stay within four.
The Thunder (7-16) stormed ahead with a 13-0 run, spurred by a 3-pointer and three-point play by Dort and a lay-in by Gilgeous-Alexander to take their first lead of the game, and then pull away, 104-97, with 2:43 left.
Grant ended the run with a jumper, but Gilgeous-Alexander added a spinning drive and set up Williams for a lay-in with a nice pass, and the comeback was complete.
