NBA: Clinical Detroit wallops Indiana by 43 points

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Detroit Pistons just bagged their most dominant win in the ongoing NBA regular season after handing the Indiana Pacers a 43-point demolition, 121-78, on Jan. 18, 2026, at the Little Caesars Arena in Michigan.

In front of a loud 20,062 Detroit fans in attendance, the Pistons topped their 31-point win over the New York Knicks last Jan. 6, 2026, to notch their second consecutive win over the last three days.

The Pistons were bolstered by a fiery start from the 1-2 punch of Duncan Robinson and Cade Cunningham, as the duo torched the Pacers and helped Detroit mount a comfortable 20-point lead after the first quarter.

Robinson waxed hot from three-point territory and detonated trey after trey, while Cunningham attacked Indiana’s loose interior coverage, which put the entire Pacers frontcourt rotation in foul trouble.

Despite Indiana head coach Rick Carlisle’s defensive adjustment from a 2-3 zone to a 1-2-2 approach, the Pistons still found ways to penetrate through the Pacers’ wall.

Through a simple high-low play between Jalen Duren and Cunningham, the Indiana zone formation was easily picked apart at the elbows, paving the way for easy paint baskets and baseline cuts.

The game was pretty much in the bag at the half when the Pistons increased their advantage to 34 points, 59-25, and handed the Pacers another cruel treatment in the third period when their bench mob picked up where Cunningham, Robinson, and Duren left off.

Leading the charge for Detroit’s second-unit eruption was reliable veteran guard Javonte Green, who sprayed eight straight points to fend off a spirited Indiana rally in the closing minutes of the third.

Carlisle then saw enough in the first four minutes of the fourth and final period, when the Pistons built their largest lead of the game at 46 points, which resulted in a massive bench-clearing.

Aside from Detroit’s efficient shooting, they also recorded one of their cleanest defensive efforts of the regular season, limiting the Pacers to just 35% shooting from the field and 22% from the three-point line, thanks to 15 steals and six blocks.

The duo of Cunningham and Robinson combined for 32 points in limited playing time, while Duren added 15 markers, eight rebounds, and four assists.

However, it was Green who stole the show for the Pistons, as the backup guard chipped in 16 points built from an efficient 6-of-9 shooting from the field in just 19 minutes of playing time.

On the other hand, Indiana missed the all-around presence of superstar power forward Pascal Siakam, who was ruled out against Detroit due to rest.