MOTOR CITY – The Phoenix Suns were Monty Williams’ previous team, and the Detroit Pistons played against them for the second time in a span of fewer than 30 calendar days. The game was played during the regular season this time, but the outcome was the same: the Suns were victorious against the Pistons by a score of 120-106.

The Pistons made history at Little Caesars Arena on Sunday afternoon by donning their 2023-24 City Edition jerseys for the first time. These jerseys pay homage to the Bad Boys era in the history of the organization. To add to the feeling of yesteryear, the Pistons played their traditional theme song as they entered the arena, which was Europe’s “Final Countdown.”

The majority of the game was spent with the Pistons holding a defensive advantage, which caused Kevin Durant and the Suns to feel increasingly frustrated.

Because Bradley Beal was unable to play because of back spasms and Devin Booker was suffering from a calf strain, the former NBA Most Valuable Player was responsible for carrying the scoring load for Phoenix. Although he finished the first half with 17 points, the Pistons made Durant work for every point, as he shot a dreadful 6-for-6 from the field and failed both of his efforts from beyond the arc. Despite this, he finished the half with 17 points.

The second half of the game was a completely different story as Kevin Durant turned it on, scoring 18 points in the third quarter on his way to a final line of 41 points, five assists, and four rebounds. Grayson Allen finished with 14 points, while Eric Gordon produced 21 points, five rebounds, and eight assists. Grayson Allen’s final point total was also 14.

The weakness of Detroit’s team was revealed to be their offense, or lack thereof. Despite the fact that they shot the ball effectively during the entire game, there was a time in which they were unable to get a shot off at all. The Pistons were led by Cade Cunningham, who scored 26 points, dished out six assists, and grabbed three rebounds. Marcus Sasser, a rookie guard, came behind him and scored 20 points off the bench for the Pistons. He provided the team with much-needed spacing by shooting 4 for 6 from beyond the arc. Sasser’s performance helped the Pistons win.

In addition, Jalen Duren contributed 12 points and 11 rebounds, and youngster Ausar Thompson added 14 points, nine rebounds, and four assists to the team’s total.Despite having a good game, Duren was sent out with 6 minutes and 51 seconds remaining in regulation time for receiving his second technical foul. This was his second game in a row where he was kicked off the court, as he was also kicked off the court during the loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday.

At one point during the game, the Suns led by as many as 19 points, but the Pistons managed to cut it down to a manageable 12 points heading into the fourth quarter, but were unable to pull any closer.

The Pistons have a short turnaround before their next game, which will take place on Monday night at Little Caesars Arena against the Golden State Warriors.