How Detroit Pistons earned an invigorating win over the Milwaukee Bucks

The Detroit Pistons prevailed in a 124-112 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday.

An even effort from Detroit's starters was headed by guard Cade Cunningham, who scored 23 points as he continued his stellar season from the floor. Guard Kevin Porter Jr. took point for the Bucks with 32 points of his own, while Myles Turner and Kyle Kuzma added 27 in starting roles for the division rival.

The Bucks were without forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who suffered a calf strain against the Pistons in a close Milwaukee win. Former Texas big Jericho Sims earned a starting nod for the second game in a row.

The Bucks still took to the paint with confidence as they challenged Detroit's inside defense, which has posted one of the league's best marks in paint points allowed per contest. The Bucks ended the night with 38 paint points, a dip from their 46-point average that put them near the bottom of the league entering tonight's matchup.

The Pistons responded with an impressive scoring mark as they used a mixed bag to hit an efficient 43 tries on 86 shots from the floor. Isaiah Stewart combined knock-down shooting from the corner and some strength down low to add 19 points in about 26 minutes of play. Jalen Duren used a big-time third quarter to propel himself to a 16-point, 16-rebound double-double.

Dec. 6, 2025; Detroit Pistons v. Milwaukee Bucks. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images — Dec 6, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Ausar Thompson (9) grabs the rebound in the first half against the Milwaukee Bucks at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Cunningham drew first blood for the Pistons with a pull-up 3-point shot. The two sides traded blows in the first quarter with back-and-forth buckets from the paint and perimeter, a decent difference from the big-time run the Pistons sped off to at the beginning of Wednesday's loss.

The sharpshooting of Turner, along with a few key turnovers, started to shift the momentum in Milwaukee's favor before the Pistons came storming right back behind the scoring of Detroit's guards and wings.

The tide completely turned in the Pistons' favor by the third quarter, where they led by 10 points by the third-quarter buzzer as they pulled away with the lead toward the end of the second quarter. Detroit's paint presence would ultimately put the game away after the Pistons rained down a barrage of jumpers early in the third, which only added to the invigorating home win that brought their December record up to 3-1.

The Pistons entered the matchup with a comfortable lead over the New York Knicks for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. A pair of close wins and a bounce-back victory over the Portland Trail Blazers have helped guide the Pistons through a slight rough patch in their breakthrough season. Detroit will work through one more game in its recent homestand before playing eight of its next 10 matchups on the road.

The Pistons are 8-3 in away games this season, but have split their last four matchups with a loss to Milwaukee and a win over the Miami Heat that capped off an incredible November run.

The Pistons will move on to face the Atlanta Hawks at 7:00 p.m. on Dec. 12 in Little Caesars Arena. The game will be broadcast on FanDuel Sports Network and NBA TV.