NEW YORK, N.Y. — The Detroit Pistons bring a 4-1 record and first place in the Eastern Conference to Brooklyn, New York, on Friday, when they meet the winless Nets in their first NBA Cup group game.
Detroit and Brooklyn share East Group A with Toronto, Orlando and Milwaukee. Detroit has not opened a season 5-1 since the 2015-16 season, and a win would change that.
Detroit is coming off a 97-89 home win over Charlotte on Wednesday, the second half of a back-to-back, a night after a 111-97 loss in New York to the Knicks. The defense carried the Hornets game. Detroit forced a season-high 25 turnovers and turned them into 21 points, and Cade Cunningham scored 30 for the first time this season.
The Pistons will be without center Jalen Duren, who is out with a hamstring injury, and guard Isaiah Joe is day to day with a hip problem.
Brooklyn, at 0-4, is trying to avoid the fifth 0-5 start in team history. The Nets nearly broke through Tuesday before falling 125-124 in overtime to Boston on a buzzer-beater. Egor Demin is day to day with a leg injury.
Last season the Pistons went 60-22, while the Nets finished 20-62.
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