Holland's Third-Quarter Burst Powers Pistons Past Winless Nets 110-94

The Detroit Pistons opened their NBA Cup campaign in style on Friday night, routing the Brooklyn Nets 110-94 at Barclays Center behind a devastating third quarter. Detroit trailed by ten in the first half before Duncan Robinson's 17 points helped erase the deficit, and the game turned decisively after the break. Reserve Ron Holland II, who had shot just 28.6 percent in his first five games, scored 12 of his season-high 18 points in the third, including two three-pointers in a 2:32 burst that stretched a 75-61 lead to 87-64. Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 20 points, five rebounds and four assists, and the Pistons outscored Brooklyn 36-17 in the quarter on their way to a 30-point lead. Brooklyn, the Eastern Conference's only winless team, committed 24 turnovers that Detroit turned into 27 points, and a late rally never threatened a comeback. The win moved Detroit to 5-1, their best start since 2015-16, and to 1-0 in Cup play. For Holland, it was a breakthrough night after a difficult opening week in which he had averaged more turnovers and fouls than points. For the Nets, now 0-5 for a second straight season, the search for a first win goes on.