Pistons Dismantle Grizzlies Behind Duren’s Dominant 30-Point Night

The big man added 13 rebounds to go with his scoring explosion, giving him another near-flawless performance in what is becoming a breakout season. His 63.4% field goal percentage on the year isn’t an accident — it’s the product of a player who has figured out exactly how to impose his will every single night.

The Grizzlies Had a Plan for Cunningham — It Fell Apart at Halftime

Memphis came in with a specific game plan. Blitz Cunningham. Trap him. Force him into bad decisions. Make him someone else’s problem.

For one half, it actually worked.

The Grizzlies disrupted his rhythm, got him flustered, and kept Detroit’s engine rattled. But even with Cunningham struggling, the Pistons went into halftime up 68-61. That’s how good this team is. Their best player gets neutralized, and they still lead by seven.

Duncan Robinson (14 first-half points) and Duren stepped into the void and punished Memphis anyway. Detroit shot 63% from the floor in the first half. You can take away one weapon. You cannot take away all of them.

Then the second half happened. Cunningham walked out of the locker room a different player. Five points and four assists in the opening minutes of the third quarter alone. The Grizzlies had no answer. The lead grew. The crowd got louder.

Cunningham finished with 17 points, 15 assists, and 8 rebounds. That’s the quiet brilliance of his season — even on nights where he struggles, he finds a way to affect the game at the highest level.

Pistons Are Winning, and They’re Winning Big

Detroit has now won three straight games by an average of 25.3 points. Read that again. Twenty-five-point average margins. This comes on the heels of a season-worst four-game skid that had people questioning whether the Pistons could hold it together down the stretch.

The answer, emphatically, has been yes.

Marcus Sasser added 16 points off the bench. Seven Detroit players finished in double figures. This is a deep, dangerous team that punishes opponents from every angle.

Memphis Digs Deeper Into a Dark Stretch

For the Grizzlies, there isn’t much to feel good about. Javon Small gave them 23 points on an efficient 6-of-9 shooting night — a bright spot in an otherwise bleak performance for a team that has now lost seven in a row.

Ty Jerome chipped in 21, and 40-year-old Taj Gibson made his season debut, logging nearly 12 minutes after signing with the team in late February. It was a feel-good footnote in an otherwise forgettable night.

Memphis visits Chicago on Monday. Detroit heads to Toronto on Sunday, carrying the kind of momentum that should terrify the rest of the Eastern Conference.

The Pistons are not done making noise. Not even close.