How the Detroit Pistons Defeated the Sacramento Kings in Sunday Showdown

The Detroit Pistons ended their most recent home stand on a high note with a 139-116 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday. All-Star guard Cade Cunningham led the way for Detroit with a 29-point, 11-assist double-double.

The duo of DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook countered with a combined 29 points and eight assists.

Jan 25, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) keeps the ball inbounds in front of Sacramento Kings center Maxime Raynaud (42) during the first half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images | David Reginek-Imagn Images

An ever-shifting Sacramento starting five saw center Domantas Sabonis return to the lineup. Rookie wing Nique Clifford was slotted into a starting spot as former Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine sat out with low back soreness. Clifford, a two-time All-Mountain West guard at Colorado State, ended his fourth start of the season with 15 points in about 33 minutes of play.

Westbrook scored the Kings' first bucket as they flipped between looking in and out of sync from the opening tip. Things would click into place for Sacramento as it used a string of good looks to end the quarter with 14 makes on 23 attempts.

Duren kept things afloat for the Pistons in the meantime as they struggled to get into a consistent rhythm of their own on offense. The 22-year-old scored Detroit's first six points by attacking the paint while tacking on two free throws. He would use a near-perfect game from the floor to make an impact with 18 points and six rebounds. Cunningham started to find the bottom of the net with close-up shots, while Detroit desperately tried to find ways to deter their Cali counterparts from doing the same.

Cunningham, who will be joining Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff in the All-Star game, would end the night with nine makes from inside the arc. His backcourt partner in Duncan Robinson would tack on 13 points of his own as he stuck with jumpers over inside shots. Detroit would barely outscore the Kings in the paint even as Sacramento started to move on to a more mixed attack in the second half.

An up-and-down first quarter would see the Pistons use the 3-point line to climb their way back into contention, a change of pace for Detroit team that ranks in the bottom five of the league in 3-point attempts per game.

Led by their starting guards and reinforced by two reliable reserves in Daniss Jenkins and Jaden Ivey, the Pistons would flip their offense on its head before balancing things out once more to keep the Kings at bay for good. Detroit would finish the night with a 51.6% clip from long range, its best since a 31-point win over the New York Knicks earlier this month. Its bench, which played a key role in keeping things steady in the second quarter, would end the bout with 58 points.

The East's top-ranked squad will move on to the Denver Nuggets, who have carved out a top-3 spot in the West despite hitting a few hurdles this month. It will be the first time the two squads will meet this season before they face off again in early February. A mighty Denver offense, which ranks second in the league with just under 121 points per game, will clash with a strong Detroit defense that leads the league in defensive rating by a wide margin this month.

The Pistons will take on the Nuggets at 9 p.m. EST on Tuesday in Ball Arena. The game will be broadcast on FanDuel Sports Network - Detroit.