Cade Cunningham leads short-handed Pistons past 76ers to stay undefeated

Coty M. Davis, The Detroit News on Oct 25, 2026

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PHILADELPHIA — For the first time since 2008, the Detroit Pistons are 3-0. They won Sunday night, 106-93, over the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 26 points on 9-for-19 shooting, eight rebounds and eight assists. John Collins recorded his first double-double of the season with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Daniss Jenkins added 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

The 76ers sustained their first loss of the season after a 3-0 start. Tyrese Maxey led Philadelphia wth 29 points on 11-for-24 shooting. LeBron James added 18 points and five assists. He played most of the night at center while Joel Embiid was out.

Observations and notes

— Defending Maxey: With Ausar Thompson out with a right ankle sprain, who would guard Maxey as Detroit's primary defender? The All-Star guard entered the game as Philadelphia's leading scorer, averaging 28.7 points over the first three games. Instead of assigning one player to the matchup, Bickerstaff took a collective approach, with players collapsing the paint and throwing traps at him each time he attacked downhill.

The Pistons' defensive scheme kept Maxey scoreless until 7:06 in the second quarter, when he made his first free-throw attempt, going 2 for 2. He scored his first field goal at 5:20 after Ron Holland missed a 3-point shot. The Pistons held Maxey to 13 points on 4-for-12 shooting entering the fourth quarter.

— Isaiah Joe takes a tumble: The Pistons' injury report may have a new addition after Joe fell at 3:46 in the first quarter. Joe fell on his tailbone after completing a one-handed dunk over 76ers rookie Labaron Philon. Joe spent a few minutes on the ground before walking to the bench on his own. He played about a minute or two before leaving the game and heading straight to the locker room. Despite being listed as questionable, Joe did not return.

— Another great shooting performance for Robinson: Duncan Robinson has started the 2026-27 season strong after three games. For the third straight game, Robinson made five or more 3-point field goals. Against the 76ers, he shot 5 for 9 from beyond the arc for 21 points.

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