Cade Cunningham scored 19 of his season-high 33 points in the fourth quarter and the visiting Detroit Pistons led wire to wire in a 114-106 victory Monday night over the Memphis Grizzlies.
Isaiah Stewart added season highs of 26 points and 14 rebounds to go along with four blocks for Detroit.
Jaren Jackson Jr. led the Grizzlies with a season-high 21 points. Ja Morant, returning from a one-game suspension, contributed 18 points and 10 assists but went 0-for-4 from deep and committed five turnovers. Rookie Cedric Coward scored 17 points off the bench.
The Pistons withstood a late rally by the Grizzlies to win their third straight game and snap a nine-game losing streak to the Grizzlies. Memphis lost its third straight.
Morant missed Sunday’s game in Toronto because of what the Grizzlies termed “conduct detrimental to the team.” The Grizzlies announced the suspension following the team’s loss to the Lakers at home Friday.
He spearheaded a late fourth-quarter rally that saw the Grizzlies trim Detroit’s double-digit lead to three points with 3:09 to go. Morant’s dunk off a lob from Vince Williams Jr. made it 101-94 with 4:23 left and Jackson Jr.’s three-point play with made it 103-100 at the 3:09 mark.
But Detroit recovered behind Cunningham, who scored nine straight Pistons points to put the visitors ahead 112-103.
Memphis entered the game having won 12 of 13 against Detroit. The Pistons pulled away in the third quarter. After the Grizzlies trimmed the deficit to four points, Detroit went on a 21-4 run to give the Pistons a 21-point advantage at 81-60. Stewart had seven points during the run. Duncan Robinson added two 3-pointers, the last ending the run.
The Grizzlies regrouped and closed the third quarter on a 12-0 run, capped by Coward’s 3-pointer from the corner in the closing seconds.
The Grizzlies trailed by as many as 10, 58-48 at the break. Morant had 12 points and six assists and halftime and Charles Bassey, making his Memphis debut, had eight first-half boards and finished with 10. Memphis shot only 33% in the first half.
