Robinson, Cunningham Lead Pistons to Dominant Victory Over Shorthanded Pacers.

DETROIT — Duncan Robinson and Cade Cunningham each contributed 16 points in limited playing time as the Detroit Pistons crushed the Indiana Pacers, 121-78, on Saturday night at Little Caesars Arena. The 43-point margin tied for the ninth-largest win in Pistons history.

Indiana played without four of its top scorers: Pascal Siakam was resting, while Benedict Mathurin (thumb), Andrew Nembhard (back), and Obi Toppin (foot) were sidelined with injuries. Additionally, T.J. McConnell, sixth on the team in scoring and second in assists, missed the game due to a knee issue. Jalen Duren added 15 points and eight rebounds for Detroit, which received contributions from 13 players in total, marking the Pistons’ fifth win in six games. For the Pacers, Jarace Walker led with 13 points, and Tony Bradley scored 12. Indiana had won four of their previous five games. Detroit’s lead reached as many as 44 points in the third quarter, at which point coach J.B. Bickerstaff pulled his starters. Duren played 23 minutes, while Cunningham and Robinson were the only others to reach 20 minutes. Indiana began the contest struggling offensively, missing 10 of their first 11 attempts and committing five turnovers, allowing Detroit to open a 24-2 advantage within the first seven minutes. At halftime, the score was 59-25, with the Pacers shooting just 23.3% (10-43) from the field, including 6% (1-18) from three-point range, and missing seven of 11 free throws. In contrast, Cunningham (11), Robinson (10), and Duren (9) outscored the entire Indiana roster 30-25. Detroit’s 25 points allowed in the first half represented their best defensive half by 11 points, while Indiana’s 25 points marked their worst offensive half by nine points.

Up Next:

• Indiana: Travel to Philadelphia for their third game in four nights on Monday.

• Detroit: Host the Boston Celtics on Monday.