Cunningham Highlights Harris’s Value as Pistons Edge Celtics; Bucks Down Two Starters, Bulls Stagnate, Pacers Struggle at Midpoint
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DETROIT — Pistons guard Cade Cunningham used Monday night’s 101-100 victory over the Boston Celtics to underline the importance of veteran forward Tobias Harris, whose $26.6 million expiring contract has fueled trade speculation.
“The way he carries himself, his professionalism, how he takes care of his body, goes about his work, is an inspiration to all the young guys,” Cunningham said after Detroit secured its league-leading 18th clutch win of the season. “We’re all thankful for it.”
The narrow result at Little Caesars Arena strengthened Detroit’s grip on first place in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons finished the season series against second-place Boston with a 3-1 advantage, outscoring the Celtics 48-32 in the paint and 20-3 on fast-break points. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff praised his young roster for matching the playoff-level intensity.
Bucks Rule Out Turner, Porter
Milwaukee will be without center Myles Turner and guard Kevin Porter Jr. when it hosts the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, head coach Doc Rivers told reporters. Turner is listed day-to-day with a sprained left ankle, while Porter is out indefinitely because of an oblique strain.
“He’s not gonna play anytime soon, I can tell you that, but we don’t know how long he will be out,” Rivers said, adding that Porter underwent an MRI on Tuesday.
Bulls Stuck in Neutral
Columnist Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times argued that the Bulls’ lack of roster creativity under executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas has allowed Toronto, Detroit and Philadelphia to surge past Chicago over the last two seasons. Cowley warned that Atlanta, Charlotte and Indiana—all currently below .500—could also leapfrog the Bulls in 2026-27.
Pacers Hit Midseason Mark at 9-32
The Pacers reached the halfway point of the schedule at 9-32. In a position-by-position review, Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star assessed every player’s first-half performance and their chances of returning next season.
Source: Hoops Rumors
