DALLAS — The Detroit Pistons’ late comeback attempt failed.
They trailed by 18 points in the third quarter to tie the game, but lost to the Dallas Mavericks 116-114 in overtime. Anthony Davis’ dunk gave the Mavericks the lead for good with 1:32 left in overtime.
advertise
Cade Cunningham (29 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists) missed a short jumper with seven seconds left that would have tied the game at 116, and Jaylen Duren (17 points, 13 rebounds) was unable to convert two offensive rebounds into putbacks. Davis grabbed a rebound with 0.9 seconds left, and the Mavericks called a timeout.
Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) is fouled by Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) during the second quarter on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, at American Airlines Center in Dallas.
Injury Update: Duncan Robinson exits game against Dallas Mavericks
The Pistons fouled Davis after passing the ball inbounds, resulting in a foul. Dennis Jenkins, who scored 11 points after halftime, stole the second inbounds pass with 0.6 seconds left, but didn’t have enough time to shoot.
advertise
With 5 minutes left in the third quarter, the Pistons trailed by 18 points. Their bench played a big role in a 31-11 run that gave the Pistons a 99-97 lead again midway through the fourth quarter. They held Dallas to 38.5% shooting in the second half and forced nine turnovers.
No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg hit a mid-range jumper with less than 20 seconds left to give the Mavericks a 110-109 lead. Davis tied the game at 110 when he fouled Isaiah Stewart on the other end with 3.4 seconds left. Klay Thompson missed a shot at the buzzer, sending the game into overtime.
Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) drives to the basket against Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) during the second quarter at American Airlines Center in Dallas on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025.
Let’s make a deal: Pistons could explore 3 needs, 5 targets before NBA trade deadline
advertise
‘Dallas’ leads Detroit out of huge deficit
Trailing 86-68 with 4:57 left in the third quarter, head coach JB Bickerstaff looked for a spark on the bench. Jenkins, Marcus Sather and Paul Reed entered the game for the first time in a row, joining Ron Holland and Javonte Green. The Pistons’ roster is centered around Dallas — Holland, Sasser and Jenkins are all from the city, and Cunningham is from nearby Arlington.
They went on an 11-3 run to narrow the deficit to 10 points and had four steals in the game – two by Green and one each by Jenkins and Reed. Cunningham replaced Green at the start of the fourth quarter and the game continued. Jenkins’ three-pointer, Holland’s layup and Jenkins’ mid-range jumper extended the lead to 21-7, narrowing the gap to 93-89 with less than 10 minutes left in the game.
As he has done so many times this season, Jenkins stepped up late. An open layup from Jenkins to Horan cut Dallas’ lead to two points, and Jenkins broke through three Mavericks defenders for a layup that tied the score at 95 and made it 27-9 with 7:46 left.
advertise
With 59 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Jenkins made two free throws and the Pistons extended their lead to 3 points at 109-106. He played 11 minutes and 32 seconds in the final quarter, second only to Cunningham and overtime.
Osar Thompson ejected in second quarter
Detroit Pistons guard Osar Thompson (9) leaves the court during the second quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, in Dallas.
The Pistons lost Thompson, their primary defender in Flagg, after communicating with an official midway through the second quarter.
With 5:09 left before halftime, Thompson tied up Mavericks guard Ryan Nembhard under the basket and was called for a foul. Thompson didn’t like the call and was immediately ejected in front of the referee. NBA rules state that players are automatically ejected when they come into physical contact with a referee.
Before being ejected, Thompson was off to a strong start, finishing with eight points, two assists, two rebounds and a steal in nine minutes of play. Stewart came on as a substitute in the second quarter.
advertise
All in all, it was a rough night for Pistons referees. Cunningham was whistled for a technical foul late in the second quarter for disagreeing with a call, and Bickerstaff was whistled for a technical foul at halftime for arguing with an official.
Duncan Robinson withdraws with left knee injury
With 11 minutes and 08 seconds left in the third quarter, Robinson had a knee collision with Mavericks winger Najee Marshall. Robinson limped off the field and was initially ruled “unable to return” before being downgraded to “out” in the final quarter.
Robinson made 1 of 7 shots and scored 2 points and 2 rebounds on 5 of 3 shots. He missed two games in early December with a sprained right ankle.
advertise
[ MUST WATCH: Make “The Pistons Pulse” your go-to Pistons podcast, listen available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ]
Visit freep.com/sports/pistons for the best Pistons coverage all year long.
On Instagram (@detroitfreepress), TikTok (@detroitfreepress), YouTube (@DetroitFreePress), X (@freep), LinkedIn, and like us on Facebook. (@detroitfreepress).
This article originally appeared in the Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons jump on Dennis Jenkins, lose to Dallas in overtime
