PISTONS SECURE THE WIN
Crucial takeaways from Rockets' 107-96 loss to Pistons
Jan 20, 2025, 4:13 pm
Fred VanVleet scored 20 points in the loss. Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images.
Cade Cunningham had 32 points, nine rebounds and seven assists to lead the Detroit Pistons to a 107-96 win over the Houston Rockets on Monday.
Cunningham was 12 of 22 from the field. He scored 19 points in the third quarter as the Pistons built a 90-80 lead after three.
Jalen Duren had 16 points and 14 rebounds, Malik Beasley added 17 points off the bench, and Ausar Thompson had 11 points and nine rebounds for the Pistons, who shot 48% and were 10 of 27 on 3-pointers.
Fred VanVleet scored 20 points, and Jalen Green scored 19 points. Amen Thompson, who missed the game at Portland on Saturday with left calf soreness, added 17 points for Houston, which shot 39% and struggled from 3, connecting on 11 of 39.
Takeaways
Detroit: The Pistons committed 23 turnovers but were able to overcome it by forcing the Rockets into 17 turnovers and converting it into 19 points.
Houston: The Rockets got balanced scoring with five players in double figures, including Alperen Sengun, who had 11 points and eight rebounds, and Cam Whitmore, who had 10 points off the bench, but they couldn’t overcome poor shooting.
Key moment
After Houston cut Detroit’s lead to 90-85 three minutes into the fourth quarter, Marcus Sasser hit a jumper and three-pointer to spark an 11-2 run as Detroit pulled away.
Key stat
Detroit had a 52-39 advantage in rebounding and a 50-40 edge in points in the paint.
Up next
Houston hosts Cleveland on Wednesday, and Detroit plays at Atlanta the same day.
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Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.
Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.
The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.
Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Key moment
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Key Stat
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Up next
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.