Cade Cunningham scored 24 points and the visiting Detroit pistons never beat and directed New Orleans Pelicans 127-81 on Monday night.
Cunningham, who banded his season was at 11 points after being thrown out late in the third quarter of a loss of 113-107 to visit Oklahoma City on Saturday, had nine when the piston (38-31) opened a 22-point lead after one block and remained in command.
Detroits Simone Fontecchio scored a season high 23 points while Dennis Schroder had 12. Malik Beasley added 11 points and Ronald Holland II contributed 10.
Zion Williamson got 30 points, including 22 during the second half, and Yves Missi had 12 points and 10 returns to lead the Pelicans (18-51). New Orleans lost other leading goal scores Trey Murphy III to a shoulder injury early in the first quarter and ended with their lowest score of the season while binding the Franchise record for the largest defeat margin.
New Orleans made only 5 out of 32 3-point attempts (15.6 percent), including 1 of 16 during the first half. CJ McCollum, the team’s third leading goal score, missed all seven shots beyond the arch and finished 1-for-15 from the floor.
Williamson scored Pelican’s first six points when they started the third quarter with a 19-7 spurt to climb within 19 points. Cunningham scored seven points when Pistons rebuilt the lead to 88-63 at the end of the third quarter.
During the first quarter, Jalen got Duren, Tim Hardaway Jr. And Cunningham each five points when Pistons competed for a lead 19-9. After Williamson made 1 of 2 free throw, Detroit got eight straight points to open a 17-point lead.
New Orleans scored only one field goal in the last seven minutes and the Piston extended the lead to 35-13 at the end of the first quarter.
The one continued when Detroit pushed the lead to 27 points less than two minutes into the second quarter. Pelicans crawled within 23 twice before Cunningham’s layout ended an 11-2 driving, and the Pistons then extended the lead to 63-32 at half time.
-Field level media
