After 12 lead changes, the Detroit Pistons took charge in the fourth quarter to defeat the New Orleans Pelicans, 136-130, at Little Caesars Arena.
With Cade Cunningham injured, Dennis Schroder, a German point guard, made his first start for the Pistons. He scored 16 points, making 4 out of 12 shots in 34 minutes. He also contributed five assists, two steals, and one rebound.
In the first game of the NBA Sunday schedule, Italian forward Simone Fontecchio came off the bench and scored eight points, grabbed two rebounds, and provided one assist in 18 minutes.
Swedish player Bobi Klintman, another option for coach J.B. Bickerstaff, stayed with the G League team, the Motor City Cruise.
Currently ranked sixth in the Eastern Conference, the Pistons improved to 40-32 in the 2024-25 Regular Season, putting them six games ahead in the race for a direct spot in the 2025 Playoffs presented by Google.
For the visitors, Croatian player Karlo Matkovic started as the center but fouled out after 16 minutes of play. He scored eight points and grabbed 11 rebounds.
Ending a four-game losing streak, the Cleveland Cavaliers dominated the Utah Jazz with a score of 120-91 at the Delta Center. With this win, they improved to 57-14 and increased their lead over the second-seeded Boston Celtics in the East to 5.5 games.
Although Finnish player Lauri Markkanen missed the game due to illness, Ukrainian Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk remained on the bench for the home team. The Pelicans and the Jazz, who sit at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, have been officially eliminated from the playoffs.
