On a chilly Thursday night in Detroit, the Little Caesars Arena was buzzing with anticipation as the Detroit Pistons hosted the Phoenix Suns in a matchup that few would have predicted to be so meaningful at this point in the NBA season. With both teams exceeding expectations—Detroit leading the Eastern Conference and Phoenix proving doubters wrong after a turbulent offseason—the stakes felt unusually high for this interconference clash on January 15, 2026.
Coming into the game, the Pistons boasted a 28-10 record, sitting atop the East with a comfortable four-game cushion. The Suns, meanwhile, entered with a 24-16 mark, still riding the momentum of a roster overhaul that saw them move on from the high-profile but ultimately disappointing Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant era. Both teams had something to prove: Detroit wanted to bounce back after a narrow loss to the Clippers, while Phoenix was eager to snap a budding losing streak after falling to the Miami Heat earlier in the week.
Injuries were a major storyline heading into tipoff. The Suns were without their star guard Devin Booker, who was ruled out with a left ankle sprain sustained late in the third quarter of the Miami game. Booker, who had returned briefly in the fourth quarter of that contest to finish with 24 points, was sorely missed as Phoenix looked to recalibrate its offense. Suns coach Jordan Ott, who has quickly emerged as a Coach of the Year candidate, acknowledged before the game, “Dillon Brooks will be super featured in the offensive game plan with Devin Booker sidelined.”
Indeed, Brooks has been a revelation for Phoenix in his first season, averaging career-highs across the board and providing the kind of grit and efficiency the Suns have desperately needed. Alongside Brooks, point guard Collin Gillespie has stabilized the team’s backcourt, allowing the Suns to weather the absence of veterans and keep pace in the competitive Western Conference. But the Suns’ depth was tested even further, with Jalen Green (right hamstring strain) and Jamaree Bouyea (concussion protocol) both unavailable for the contest. Royce O’Neale, nursing a left biceps contusion, was cleared to play, while Nigel Hayes-Davis was questionable with a right ankle sprain.
Detroit, meanwhile, was finally close to full strength. Cade Cunningham, who had missed the previous two games with a right wrist contusion, returned to the lineup. Jalen Duren (right ankle sprain), Tobias Harris (left hip sprain), and Isaiah Stewart (illness) were all upgraded from probable to available, giving coach JB Bickerstaff—a fellow Coach of the Year frontrunner—a full rotation to deploy. The Pistons’ depth has been a hallmark of their success this season, and with key contributors back on the court, fans were eager to see how they’d respond after a disappointing home loss to the Clippers just days earlier.
As the game tipped off in front of a raucous crowd of 19,199, it was the Suns who struck first, racing out to a 16-point lead in the first half. Grayson Allen was electric early, pouring in 21 points before halftime and going 5-of-10 from beyond the arc. Phoenix’s hot shooting—11-of-25 from three in the first half—had the Pistons on their heels, and at the break, the Suns led 63-56. It wasn’t just offense that was heating up; tempers flared as well, with three technical fouls assessed to Pistons players (Tobias Harris, Duncan Robinson, and Isaiah Stewart) and flagrant 1 fouls handed out to Dillon Brooks and Ausar Thompson.
But Detroit, as they’ve done all season, refused to fold. The second half saw the Pistons claw their way back, leaning on their balanced attack and relentless defense. Duncan Robinson led the way with 19 points, while six Pistons finished in double figures—a testament to the team’s depth and unselfish play. Cade Cunningham, still shaking off the rust, was limited to 6 points on 2-of-9 shooting, but his presence helped steady the offense and open up opportunities for his teammates. Ron Holland II and Jalen Duren provided energy off the bench, with Holland’s highlight-reel block on Oso Ighodaro igniting the home crowd.
The fourth quarter was a back-and-forth affair, with both teams trading big shots and defensive stops. Phoenix, now 1-2 with their current starting lineup of Allen, Gillespie, O’Neale, Mark Williams, and Brooks, continued to rely on Allen, who finished with a game-high 33 points and set a career high for three-point attempts (7-of-20). Collin Gillespie chipped in 18 points, while Brooks added 16 before fouling out with just over two minutes remaining and the Suns trailing 104-100.
With Booker out and Brooks on the bench, the Suns struggled to generate offense down the stretch. The Pistons capitalized, with Tobias Harris and Ausar Thompson making key plays on both ends of the floor. Harris, returning from injury, attacked the basket fearlessly and drew a crucial foul with under a minute to play. Thompson’s tenacity was on full display, as he notched a steal and a thunderous dunk that brought the crowd to its feet in the waning moments.
Yet, the Suns refused to go quietly. Down three with seconds left, Phoenix engineered one final play: Royce O’Neale launched a long inbounds pass to Grayson Allen, who managed to get up a contested three-pointer off the glass. The shot clanged off, sealing a dramatic 108-105 victory for Detroit. The win improved the Pistons to 29-10, solidifying their status as the team to beat in the East, while the Suns dropped to 24-17 but remained firmly in the playoff hunt out West.
“We just kept fighting,” Duncan Robinson said after the game, crediting the team’s resilience and depth. “It’s never easy when you’re playing a team as tough as Phoenix, especially with the way Grayson [Allen] was shooting it. But we trusted each other and got stops when we needed them.”
For the Suns, the loss stung, but there were positives to build on—especially Allen’s career night and the continued emergence of Gillespie as a reliable floor general. With Booker’s status still day-to-day, Phoenix will look to regroup as they continue their six-game road trip, next facing the New York Knicks on January 17.
As the final buzzer sounded and the crowd filed out into the Detroit night, the Pistons had reaffirmed their place among the NBA’s elite, while the Suns showed they have the fight and firepower to hang with anyone, even when shorthanded. The league’s two biggest surprises just delivered a game to remember—and if this is a preview of what’s to come in the playoffs, fans everywhere should be excited.
