Cunningham, Pistons top New Orleans 127-81; Pelicans’ Murphy out for season with shoulder injury
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Cade Cunningham had 24 points and eight assists, and the Detroit Pistons routed the New Orleans Pelicans 127-81 on Monday night.
Simone Fontecchio scored 23 points for Detroit, which had dropped four of six.
Zion Williamson had 30 points for New Orleans, and Yves Missi finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks. Williamson also grabbed six rebounds and blocked two shots.
The Pelicans lost for the seventh time in eight games. And postgame, New Orleans announced Trey Murphy III was diagnosed with a torn labrum and partial tear of the rotator cuff in his right shoulder, an injury that happened when he dislocated the shoulder in the first quarter Monday. He will miss the rest of the season.
Cunningham scored 17 points to help Detroit to a 63-32 halftime lead. Fontecchio had 18 points in the second half.
Takeaways
Pistons: Fontecchio delivered an efficient performance in a reserve role. He went 5 for 5 from beyond the arc and 9 for 10 from the field overall. He also grabbed seven rebounds in 21 1/2 minutes.
Pelicans: It was a bad shooting night in a variety of ways. The Pelicans shot 32.6% from the field, including a 5-for-32 from 3-point range. They went 20 for 30 at the free-throw line.
Key moment
The Pistons grabbed control with a 24-5 run that began in the first quarter and carried over into the second. Dennis Schroder’s driving layup made it 41-14 with 10:21 left in the first half.
Key stat
Led by Fontecchio and Jalen Duren, the Pistons had a 50-39 rebounding advantage.
Next up
The Pistons visit the Miami Heat on Wednesday night. Next up for the Pelicans is two straight games at the Minnesota Timberwolves, beginning on Wednesday night.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba