National Basketball Association
Brooklyn 116, Detroit 104
When: 6:00 PM ET, Sunday, December 12, 2021
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Officials: #24 Kevin Scott, #54 Ray Acosta, #77 Karl Lane
Attendance: 15289

Kevin Durant scored a season-high 51 points as the visiting Brooklyn Nets earned a 116-104 victory Sunday, while handing the Detroit Pistons their 12th consecutive defeat.

Durant's point total set a LIttle Caesars Arena record. Ex-Pistons forward Blake Griffin, who currently plays for the Nets, held the previous record with 50 points.

Durant added nine assists and seven rebounds as the Nets won for the third time in their last four games.

Patty Mills added 18 points and five assists for the Nets, while LaMarcus Aldridge had 15 points and Cam Thomas tossed in 13 for Brooklyn, which outscored Detroit 30-13 in the fourth quarter.

The Nets rested perennial All-Star guard James Harden.

Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 26 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals. Frank Jackson had 25 points and Saben Lee supplied 17 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals.

The Pistons learned earlier in the day that leading scorer Jerami Grant would miss at least six weeks due to a thumb injury.

Brooklyn led by as much as 13 in the first quarter but a Cunningham 3-pointer in the closing seconds cut the Nets' advantage to 31-24.

Detroit briefly took the lead in the second quarter with a 16-1 run that included 10 points from Jackson.

Durant scored 12 points in the second quarter as Brooklyn rebounded to take a 60-57 halftime advantage.

The Pistons reeled off 12 unanswered points in the third quarter to take a 73-66 lead. Hamidou Diallo capped the outburst with a three-point play off a cutting layup. Durant reached the 35-point mark midway through the quarter on a 3-point shot.

Lee scored 10 points in the third quarter as Detroit carried a 91-86 lead into the fourth.

The momentum shifted dramatically in the final quarter. Brooklyn went on a 19-1 run to take a 13-point lead at 105-92. Durant had nine points, two assists and a block and Thomas scored six points during that stretch.

Detroit finally scored its first field goal of the quarter with 5:23 left as Jackson drained a 3-pointer. The Pistons missed six shots and made nine turnovers during the drought.

Brooklyn led by double digits the rest of the game.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Brooklyn   Detroit
Kevin Durant 51 Scoring Cade Cunningham 26
Kevin Durant 9 Assists Cade Cunningham 6
Kevin Durant 7 Rebounds Isaiah Stewart 10
Kevin Durant 14 Free Throws Made Cade Cunningham 3
Nic Claxton 2 Steals Cade Cunningham 3
Nic Claxton 2 Blocks Cade Cunningham 1
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Brooklyn 116 47.1 11-28 23-25 28 43 6 8 18
Detroit 104 42.4 14-37 12-18 24 40 5 11 21
Upcoming Games
  • Detroit will play their next game on the road against Chicago. The Pistons have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .190 after a loss.
  • Brooklyn will play their next game at home against Toronto. The Nets have a W/L % of .579 after a win and 1.000 after a loss.