How the Detroit Pistons defeated the Indiana Pacers in blowout victory

The Detroit Pistons kept things rolling with a dominant 121-78 win over the Indiana Pacers. Cade Cunningham started to get back on track after a slow scoring game against the Phoenix Suns with 16 points in the victory over the Pacers. Jarace Walker led Indiana with 13 points while tacking on five rebounds and two assists.

Duncan Robinson, who has been on a tear from the 3-point line over his last few matchups, drew first blood for the Pistons with a quick strike from 25 feet out. A one-sided race would see the Pistons speed ahead with a comfortable lead before guard Quenton Jackson earned the Pacers' first bucket about two minutes in.

Their lead only grew as Cunningham and Jalen Duren found their groove in the halfcourt with a string of buckets and free throws. Detroit's defense, which propelled it to a win over the Suns on Thursday, did the rest as it limited the Pacers to four makes on 20 tries in the first quarter.

Jan 17, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Indiana Pacers center Jay Huff (32), Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) and guard Johnny Furphy (12) look for the rebound at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The Pacers only scored one bucket from outside the paint on their way to 25 points by the end of the first half. Even as they slowed down in the second quarter, the Pistons were still able to use a more balanced attack as they got comfortable from the right side.

Things didn't pick up much for the Pacers as the Pistons continued to rocket ahead and push their lead to heights unseen this season. The Pacers' 78 points on the night were the fewest Detroit has allowed this season by an 8-point margin.

The Pacers entered the night with four wins in their last five matchups after free falling with a 13-game losing streak.

Indiana's frontcourt took center stage as it defeated the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday, where forward Pascal Siakam and center Jay Huff earned a combined 56 points and 15 rebounds. Huff followed it up with three points and one rebound in about 13 minutes of play on Saturday. Siakam rested on what was the two-year anniversary of his trade to the Pacers, where he earned an All-Star selection and a trip to the NBA Finals in 2025.

The Pistons, who sat comfortably ahead of the Boston Celtics atop the East standings heading into the night, move on to 8-3 against divisional opponents with their victory over the Pacers.

Detroit has not fallen to a Central Division rival since an early-December loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, which has played a role in their turnaround against their Midwestern foes after finishing last season with a record of 5-11. The Pistons sport one of their best records against the Atlantic Division, which includes a 2-1 record against the Celtics, before Boston heads into town for its final matchup with Detroit of the regular season.

The Pistons will face the Celtics at 8:00 p.m. EST on Monday in Little Caesars Arena. The game will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock.