Detroit Extend Perfect Start as Cunningham Shines in Road Victory Over 76ers

Written by Pavel Kateliev

Pavel Kateliev is a popular sport journalist, particularly in the fields of football, basketball, tennis, and hockey. He writes daily for Sportingpedia and his work has been translated into at least 20 languages and featured on renowned outlets such as BBC, Yahoo, MCN, Sun, and Evening News, in Italian, English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

, | Updated: October 26, 2026

LeBron James watches as Duncan Robinson dribbles past him

Key Takeaways:

Cade Cunningham led all scorers with 26 points as Detroit defeated Philadelphia 106-93
John Collins posted a double-double, recording 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Pistons’ 3-0 start
Philadelphia, missing Joel Embiid and VJ Edgecombe, suffered their first defeat after three successive wins

Pistons Remain Unbeaten Despite Duren’s Absence

The Detroit Pistons continued their commanding early season form by securing a 106-93 win against the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night. Cade Cunningham spearheaded the offence with a 26-point haul, while John Collins backed him up with 16 points and 11 rebounds. The victory maintained Detroit’s perfect record and marked their first outing since All-Star centre Jalen Duren was sidelined with a strained right hamstring. Duren, who sustained his injury during the opening half of Friday’s victory over Miami, is set to miss at least two weeks.

final.
@Bloom_Energy https://t.co/wBW4vpR4yX
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) October 26, 2026

Slow Start Hampers Short-handed Sixers

Philadelphia, forced to compete without both Joel Embiid and VJ Edgecombe, never led against a Pistons team that burst out to a 15-1 run and stretched their advantage to 56-35 in the second period. The 76ers, who were coming off a demanding stretch, rested Embiid following his triple-double performance against Milwaukee, while Edgecombe remained sidelined with an abdominal contusion. Tyrese Maxey notched a game-high 29 points for the hosts, with LeBron James adding 18 after returning to the line-up. Despite rallying from a 29-point deficit to defeat Cleveland in their previous outing, Philadelphia could not complete another comeback.

Pivotal Moments and Three-Point Shooting

LeBron James, aged 41, energised the home crowd with three consecutive layups as part of a 9-0 surge narrowing Detroit’s lead to 56-44 by the interval. The 76ers cut the margin to just five in the third quarter, but Cunningham responded decisively, draining back-to-back three-pointers to re-establish a nine-point cushion. Detroit concluded the quarter up by 10. In the fourth, Duncan Robinson delivered a crucial blow from beyond the arc – netting one of his five three-pointers (and the Pistons’ total of 14) – to stymie another Sixers charge that had closed the deficit to four points.