Pistons suffer first loss on road trip, fall 131-129 against Jazz

Coty M. Davis, The Detroit News on Dec 27, 2025

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The Detroit Pistons and Utah Jazz have spent the past 17 months on opposite ends of the league spectrum, yet the two franchises have still put together a handful of competitive games. Both teams gave their respective fan bases gifts on the day after Christmas, but the Jazz prevailed, handing the Pistons a 131-129 loss at Delta Center.

The Pistons fell to 24-7 on the season and 2-1 on their current five-game West Coast road trip. The Pistons rallied from 15 points down (104-89), a deficit they sustained at the 2:15 mark of the third quarter.

Daniss Jenkins (six points) came off the bench and played a vital role in helping the Pistons rally by nailing a pair of 3-point field goals to initiate the comeback attempt. Detroit came with two points (127-125) with 1:50 left in the fourth; however, the Pistons had four consecutive empty possessions that halted their comeback attempt.

Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 30 points, 17 assists and two blocks. The game marked his 17th double-double of the season, a milestone he achieved by halftime with 13 assists — a career-high through the first two quarters.

Cunningham tied the game by making two free throws with 18 seconds remaining. However, Keyonte George scored a game-winning floater to secure the victory for the Jazz. He finished with a team-high 31 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.

Observations and notes

—Holland returns: Since joining the Pistons in June 2024, Ron Holland II has maintained excellent health. However, he sustained a minor knee injury during Detroit's victory over the Charlotte Hornets, which forced him to miss the first two games of the road trip.

The time off with some rehab was enough for Holland to return to the lineup against the Jazz. Amid his return, Holland played 10 minutes, finishing with eight points and three rebounds.