Detroit Pistons at Houston Rockets
· National Basketball Association
Cunningham's late free throws help Pistons beat Rockets 115-111
Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff got his 300th career win, making him and his father Bernie Bickerstaff (419) the first father-son duo to in NBA history to each reach 300 career wins.
Paul Reed’s layup made it 113-110 before Houston cut the lead to two when Alperen Sengun made 1 of 2 free throws with 1:32 remaining.
Both teams missed 3-point attempts before Detroit’s Ausar Thompson missed a 3 with 35 seconds left and Reed blocked Sengun’s shot in the lane 16.4 seconds to go.
Houston was forced to foul and Cunningham sunk both free throws to make it 115-111 and give the Pistons their first win of the season after they lost to Chicago in their opener.
Thompson had 19 points for Detroit to outdo identical twin brother Houston’s Amen Thompson, who finished with 10.
Kevin Durant had 37 points for the Rockets and was 16 of 18 from the free throw line. He was 3 of 3 from 3-point range after missing all four of his long-range shots Tuesday in his first game with the Rockets after this summer’s blockbuster trade from Phoenix.
The Pistons led by 5 after a 3-pointer by Cunningham with about 8½ minutes to go before Durant scored all of Houston’s points in an 8-3 run to tie it at 101-all midway through the quarter.
The Rockets trailed by 3 with about five minutes left when Durant tied it at 105 with a 3-pointer.
Detroit used a 6-0 run to take a 111-105 lead with three minutes left. Jabari Smith Jr. hit a 3-pointer for Houston after that and Durant made a pair of free throws to get Houston within 1 with less than two minutes to go.
Rockets: Host Brooklyn on Monday night.
Regular Season Series
DET leads series 1-0
Recent Plays
| 4th 0.0 |  |
End of Game | 115 - 111 |
| 4th 0.0 | |
End of the 4th Quarter | 115 - 111 |
| 4th 2.4 |  |
Rockets offensive team rebound | 115 - 111 |
| 4th 2.4 | |
Amen Thompson misses 28-foot three point jumper | 115 - 111 |
| 4th 5.1 |  |
Cade Cunningham makes free throw 2 of 2 | 115 - 111 |
Statistics
 DET |
 HOU |
|
|---|---|---|
| 42-90 | FG | 32-83 |
| 46.7 | Field Goal % | 38.6 |
| 16-39 | 3PT | 10-22 |
| 41.0 | Three Point % | 45.5 |
| 15-23 | FT | 37-48 |
| 65.2 | Free Throw % | 77.1 |
| 48 | Rebounds | 45 |
| 15 | Offensive Rebounds | 17 |
| 33 | Defensive Rebounds | 28 |
| 26 | Assists | 15 |
| 6 | Steals | 14 |
| 11 | Blocks | 2 |
| 17 | Turnovers | 13 |
| 1 | Team Turnovers | 1 |
| 18 | Total Turnovers | 14 |
| 3 | Technical Fouls | 2 |
| 3 | Total Technical Fouls | 2 |
| 1 | Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
| 19 | Points Conceded Off Turnovers | 16 |
| 16 | Fast Break Points | 13 |
| 52 | Points in Paint | 38 |
| 31 | Fouls | 24 |
| 9 | Largest Lead | 6 |
Houston Rockets Injuries
| NAME, POS | STATUS | DATE |
|---|---|---|
| Jabari Smith Jr., F | Day-To-Day | Nov 4 |
| JD Davison, G | Day-To-Day | Nov 4 |
| Dorian Finney-Smith, F | Out | Nov 2 |
| Fred VanVleet, G | Out | Sep 22 |
Detroit Pistons Injuries
| NAME, POS | STATUS | DATE |
|---|---|---|
| Tobias Harris, F | Day-To-Day | Nov 4 |
| Marcus Sasser, G | Out | Nov 2 |
| Jaden Ivey, G | Out | Oct 16 |
Game Information
Location: Houston, TX
Attendance: 18,055 · Capacity:
Chicago
Milwaukee
Cleveland
Indiana2025-26 Southwest Standings
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 San Antonio |
5 | 1 | .833 | - | L1 |
 Houston |
4 | 2 | .667 | 1 | W4 |
 Memphis |
3 | 5 | .375 | 3 | L3 |
 Dallas |
2 | 5 | .286 | 3.5 | L2 |
 New Orleans |
0 | 6 | .000 | 5 | L6 |
NBA News
Why the Cavaliers are doubling down after two playoff losses
After two disappointing playoff exits, the Cavaliers aren't making any major changes to their schemes or plans. In fact, they're doubling down.
From Wemby to Reaves: Debating four early-season NBA storylines
ESPN national analysts Zach Kram and Kevin Pelton debate the biggest early-season questions about Victor Wembanyama, Austin Reaves, Cooper Flagg and more.
Short-handed Lakers win at Portland with help of Nick Smith Jr.
Playing without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, the Lakers won at Portland on Monday night behind a combined 57 points from starters Deandre Ayton and Rui Hachimura and an unexpected 25-point performance from reserve guard Nick Smith Jr.
Oklahoma City plays Los Angeles, seeks 4th straight road win
Oklahoma City Thunder (7-0, first in the Western Conference) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (3-2, ninth in the Western Conference)
Toronto plays Milwaukee in conference showdown
Milwaukee Bucks (4-2, third in the Eastern Conference) vs. Toronto Raptors (3-4, eighth in the Eastern Conference)