How the Detroit Pistons claimed victory over Phoenix Suns on Thursday

The Detroit Pistons fought their way back into the win column as they defeated the Phoenix Suns in a 108-105 victory. Jaden Ivey impressed in his time off the bench with 15 points, while Cade Cunningham tried to made up for a cold night from the floor with 11 assists.

The Suns were without guard Devin Booker, who was sidelined with a left ankle sprain. Guard Grayson Allen, who spent two seasons with a Midwestern rival in the Milwaukee Bucks, would earn his first start since a December matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers in Booker's stead.

Duren returned to the starting five for the Pistons after missing the last four games with a right ankle sprain. He would score his first points off an and-one against Suns center Mark Williams, which would spark a 16-point, 18-rebound night in his return.

Detroit pulled out to an early lead against the Suns as they took to the paint for easy buckets.

While they started to taper off as Phoenix started to hold them off inside, an ice-cold start on offense prevented the Suns from gaining the upper hand until about halfway through the first quarter. The duo of Oso Ighodaro and Collin Gillespie would start to push the game out of reach for the Pistons with a string of buckets before the end of the quarter, which would give the Suns a 9-point advantage after the Pistons led by as many as eight.

Jan. 15, 2026; Detroit Pistons v. Phoenix Suns. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images — Jan 15, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Oso Ighodaro (11) dribbles defended by Detroit Pistons forward Isaiah Stewart (28) in the first half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The Suns would catch fire in the second quarter behind an all-around effort from their bench crew and starters alike. A storm of shots from the arc would keep Phoenix in the lead by the half even as Detroit started to storm back from a 16-point deficit.

The Suns would end the night with a 37% clip from beyond the arc to the Pistons' 28.1%, which put them just ahead of the season average that ranked 11th in the NBA heading into the night. Detroit still never backed down as it went back to the paint in the third quarter. It would snatch the lead right back behind a flurry of dunks and layups before a back-and-forth battle would end in its favor.

Detroit had some time to rest and recharge following a 98-92 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Jan. 10, where four of LA's starters scored all but 11 of the Clippers' points. The Pistons have still fared well against their Western Conference counterparts, who they have defeated nine times and fallen to four times.

While this was Detroit's first bout against the Suns this season, they split their regular-season series last year in two games that saw Phoenix's biggest stars take center stage. Allen would earn a starring role of his own as he scored 10 of the Suns' first 15 points. He would end things off with 33 points, five rebounds and three blocks.

Phoenix's tough brand of ball has paved the path for them to climb back from a slower start to their season and outpace where they were at this point last year by three games. While the Suns have gained plenty of traction at home, where they sport a 14-5 record and a six-game win streak, they leave the Thursday-night battle with a 10-12 record on the road.

The Pistons have built an impressive home record of their own, which is ahead of the Suns for fourth place in the NBA. The Pistons can build upon their home record in four of their next five matchups before hitting the road for a three-game Western Conference road trip.

The Pistons will take on the Indiana Pacers at 7:30 p.m. EST on Saturday in Little Caesars Arena. The game will be broadcast on FanDuel Sports Network - Detroit.