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Pistons return home to face inexperienced Nets

NBA: Detroit Pistons at Brooklyn NetsNov 7, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) looks to drive past Brooklyn Nets guard Tyrese Martin (13) in the second quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The top team in the Eastern Conference gets, at least on paper, a breather on the scheduled Sunday. The Detroit Pistons return home from a West Coast trip to host the rookie-laden Brooklyn Nets.

The Pistons responded from an ugly loss to Phoenix on Thursday with a 131-124 victory over Golden State on Friday. That boosted the Pistons’ record to 35-12.

“It’s the NBA, it’s a lot of games, but that was just unacceptable,” reserve guard Daniss Jenkins told the Detroit News. “That’s just not who we are. They (the Suns) came out and beat us at our own game, and that’s unacceptable from all levels. We just knew we had to come out and put out a better performance. We’re gonna lose the game, but not like that. So, we all just wanted to come out and just show ourselves that we can be better than that.”

The Pistons had a 25-10 advantage in fast-break points and a 62-40 advantage in paint points against the Warriors.

“I thought the tempo we played at, the ability to take advantage of what was there, I thought they did a great job of that. And just sharing the ball, playing at tempo, executing the gameplan, all those things, I thought we did that early, and it was good for us,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said.

When Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren are playing well, the Pistons are tough to beat. Cunningham had 29 points and 11 assists, while Duren powered for 21 points and 13 rebounds.

“He’s awesome. He reminds me of Luka and James Harden,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said of Cunningham, an All-Star starter. “Just kind of a one-man offense, running everything through him. He’s a great, great player, really coming into his own.”

The Nets are looking for a star to emerge from their handful of first-round picks last June. Egor Demin, a lottery pick, has shown flashes of turning into that type of player.

He racked up his first double-double with 25 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists in a 109-99 victory over Utah on Friday. He also set an NBA rookie record by making a 3-pointer for his 34th consecutive game.

“It means a lot,” Demin said during a postgame TV interview. “It’s the first second game of a back-to-back we’ve won, the first (win) without (Michael Porter Jr.). He’s a big, big, big part of our team, but we’ve got to be able to function without him, too. So that win means a lot, especially for me being back home I can say so. It’s pretty fun.”

Porter Jr., the team’s leading scorer, missed the game due to personal reasons. Demin was part of a very green lineup that also included Nolan Traore and Danny Wolf. It worked well enough to snap the team’s seven-game losing streak.

Cunningham and Duren played big roles in the first meeting between the teams on Nov. 7. Cunningham poured in 34 points, and Duren supplied 30 in a 125-107 victory. Porter Jr. led Brooklyn with 28 points.

–Field Level Media

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Evander's hat trick, late PK boost Cincinnati over Fire

MLS: FC Cincinnati at Chicago Fire FCMay 2, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; FC Cincinnati midfielder Evander (10) scores a goal during the first half against the Chicago Fire FC at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Talia Sprague-Imagn Images

Evander converted a penalty kick seven minutes into second-half stoppage time to secure a hat trick and lift FC Cincinnati to a 3-2 road win over the Chicago Fire on Saturday.

Evander collected a brace in the first half and then added his third goal for the late winner. A yellow card was issued to Chicago’s Dje D’Avilla for a foul in the box on Pavel Bucha, leading to the deciding penalty kick.

The winning goal came six minutes after Chicago striker Hugo Cuypers missed his own chance to complete a hat trick with a penalty-kick strike. Goalkeeper Roman Celentano (eight saves) made a huge save to deny Cuypers and preserve the 2-2 score.

FC Cincinnati (4-4-3, 15 points) won despite playing with only 10 men for most of the second half. Defender Kyle Smith was issued a straight red card in the 56th minute for an accidental kick to the face of the Fire’s Robin Lod.

Cincinnati is unbeaten in its last five (2-0-3) matches, including a 3-3 draw with the Fire two weeks prior.

The victory was Cincinnati’s first win in six road matches this season (1-3-2). FC Cincinnati are 5-0-1 in their last six trips to Chicago.

The Fire (5-3-2, 17 points) have held leads in all three of their losses this season. Saturday’s defeat ended a five-match (4-0-1) unbeaten streak for the home side.

After going scoreless in his first six regular-season matches, Evander now has five goals in his last four matches.

Cuypers has 10 goals in seven league matches this season, scoring at least once in every appearance. Cuypers’ three straight matches with multiple goals ties the second-longest brace streak in MLS history.

The forward started early Saturday, as Cuypers converted a shot that deflected off Smith and into the net in the 16th minute.

Shaky defending also aided in Evander’s equalizer in the 24th minute. During a scramble in front of the Fire’s net, Chicago center back Mbekezeli Mbokazi made a poor touch on a clearance attempt that put the ball right at Evander’s feet for the finish.

Cuypers completed the brace four minutes later, but Evander provided another quick response in the 31st minute.

–Field Level Media

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Royals' Maikel Garcia's sacrifice fly beats Mariners in 10th

MLB: Kansas City Royals at Seattle MarinersMay 2, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia (11) hits an RBI-sacrifice fly against the Seattle Mariners during the tenth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Maikel Garcia’s sacrifice fly scored the go-ahead run in the 10th inning as the Kansas City Royals rallied to defeat the host Seattle Mariners 3-2 Saturday night.

Automatic runner Michael Massey stole third base in the top of the 10th and scored an out later as Garcia flew out to center field off Cooper Criswell (1-1).

Royals reliever Matt Strahm (1-0) got the victory and Lucas Erceg retired the side in order in the 10th to earn his ninth save of the season.

The Royals tied it at 2-2 in the ninth off Mariners closer Andres Munoz. Salvador Perez lined a leadoff single to right and was replaced by pinch runner Lane Thomas, who advanced to second on a balk. With one out, Jac Caglianone lined a single to left-center, with the ball bouncing between the legs of outfielder Julio Rodriguez and rolling all the way to the wall, allowing Thomas to score and Caglianone to take third.

Seattle starter Emerson Hancock didn’t get a decision despite striking out a career-high 14 batters on the night the Mariners retired former ace Randy Johnson’s jersey No. 51.

Hancock went seven innings and allowed one run on six hits. The right-hander didn’t walk a batter and eclipsed his previous best of nine strikeouts set March 29 against Cleveland in his first start of the season.

Kansas City right-hander Seth Lugo also put up a quality start. Lugo pitched six innings and gave up two runs on seven hits, with two walks and six strikeouts.

The Mariners took the lead in the first inning as, with one out, Rodriguez hit a ground-rule double to right-center and Josh Naylor followed by lining a run-scoring single to center.

The Royals tied it in the third as Kyle Isbel doubled to right with one out and Garcia doubled to left.

The Mariners broke a 1-all tie in the fifth inning. With one out, No. 9 hitter Leo Rivas lined a single to right field, J.P. Crawford grounded a single to left and Rodriguez reached on an infield single up the middle to load the bases.

Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. made a diving stop on Rodriguez’s hit but had trouble getting the ball out of his mitt and was unable to get a forceout at second. With Naylor at the plate, Lugo threw a breaking pitch in the dirt that got away from catcher Carter Jensen, allowing Rivas to score standing up. Lugo struck out Naylor before walking Randy Arozarena to reload the bases. Cole Young worked the count to 2-2 before Lugo threw a slider that was way outside. Arozarena apparently thought it was ball four and was picked off first base to end the inning.

Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh was a late scratch due to undisclosed reasons.

–Field Level Media

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Angels walk off Mets in 10th, halt 7-game skid

MLB: New York Mets at Los Angeles AngelsMay 2, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels second baseman Vaughn Grissom (5) forces out New York Mets designated hitter Juan Soto (22) at second base in the sixth inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Oswald Peraza hit an RBI single with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning as the Los Angeles Angels snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory over the New York Mets on Saturday night in Anaheim, Calif.

Pereza, who finished with three hits, lined an 0-2 curveball from New York reliever Austin Warren (0-1) into the gap in left-center to easily drive in automatic runner Adam Frazier from third base.

Jo Adell went 3-for-5 with a run and an RBI, Mike Trout had two hits and a walk and Vaughn Grissom drove in two runs for Los Angeles, which won for just the second time in 13 games. Ryan Zeferjahn (2-1) threw two innings of hitless relief.

Austin Slater doubled among his two hits and scored and Mark Vientos doubled and scored for New York, which lost for the 18th time in its last 22 games. Rookie starter Nolan McLean left after four innings, the shortest start of his major league career, after allowing three runs on six hits and a walk while striking out six on 78 pitches.

Los Angeles took a 1-0 lead in the first inning with three consecutive two-out singles by Nolan Schanuel, Jorge Soler and Adell, the final one a single to right that drove in Schanuel. Slater threw out Soler attempting to advance to third for the final out, and replays showed Soler was tagged out before Schanuel crossed home plate, but the Mets didn’t challenge the play.

New York tied it in the third on an RBI single by Bo Bichette, driving in Slater, who had doubled down the left field line.

The Angels took a 3-1 lead in the fourth on a two-run single by Grissom with two outs. The Mets rallied to tie it in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Andy Ibanez and an RBI single by Tyrone Taylor, then loaded the bases with one out. Replacing starter Reid Detmers, Sam Bachman escaped the jam by getting Bichette on a force play at the plate and striking out Juan Soto.

Detmers gave up three runs on nine hits in 6 1/3 innings, with eight strikeouts and no walks.

–Field Level Media

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