Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) dunks against Golden State Warriors center Al Horford (20) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (Photo Credits to AP photographer Jed Jacobsohn)
By Michael Villanueva
SAN FRANCISCO – On the last Friday night of January at Chase Center in San Francisco, the Detroit Pistons defeated the Golden State Warriors 131–124, ending a four-game losing streak and giving the Warriors an upsetting home loss.
Detroit entered the game as the best team in the Eastern Conference, boasting a 15–7 road record and a 7–3 streak over its last ten games. Meanwhile, Golden State was ranked eighth in the Western Conference and had a solid 17–7 home record.
Al Horford, Draymond Green, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski, and Stephen Curry made up the Warriors’ starting lineup. Curry, who led Golden State with 27.3 points and 4.9 assists per game, was just selected as a starter for the NBA All-Star Game, which will take place at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. This will be the 75th NBA All-Star Game and the first to be held at the brand-new LA Clippers arena.
Detroit responded with a starting five of Tobias Harris, Duncan Robinson, Jalen Duren, Cade Cunningham, and birthday guard Ausar Thompson. Draymond Green, a native of Michigan born in Saginaw, attended Saginaw High School and spent four seasons at Michigan State, bringing symbolic meaning to the evening. A Michigan State University Draymond Green bobblehead was given to the first 10,000 fans in celebration of Green. The Golden State also had its Japanese Heritage Night inside Chase Center.
Curry, who made an early three-pointer and raised the streak to 88 straight games with a three-pointer, led the Warriors to an exciting start to the evening. After drawing a shooting foul on Detroit, Horford made two free throws, giving him an early 3-point play, which helped Golden State get off to a fast start.
The Pistons remained close to Golden State despite the team’s strong start. With six minutes left in the first quarter, Duncan Robinson made his fourth three-pointer and finished with 12 points, but 15 points for the night. Both teams had a strong offensive start, but Detroit took the lead by shooting 76 percent from the field in the first quarter.
Detroit finished the quarter with 15 team assists, including eight points and six assists from Cunningham. Detroit had a 45-37 lead at the end of the first quarter thanks to a late 8-3 scoring run. This was the most points the Pistons had scored in a single quarter this season.
Detroit continued to control the paint and went on a 9–6 scoring run to start the second quarter. Golden State had only eight points in the paint, while the Pistons had already scored 28, putting early pressure on the Warriors.
Draymond Green helped keep Golden State within striking distance, knocking down his fourth three-pointer of the half after hitting back-to-back pairs in each of the first two quarters. After an out-of-bounds call that initially ruled for the Pistons’ ball but was later challenged and overturned by the Warriors, Green received his tenth technical foul of the season.
Golden State started to rally after falling behind by up to 15 points, and because of a spark from its bench, the lead dropped to five points. Fan favorite Gui Santos energized the Chase Center crowd and the team with his effort and second-chance opportunities, scoring nine points in eight minutes.
Detroit scored 14 points off 10 Golden State turnovers, taking advantage of the Warriors’ mistakes. Both inside and on the fast break, the Pistons continued to dominate. Detroit regularly played well in transition and on pick-and-rolls, scoring 42 points in the paint by the half.
Cunningham led Detroit with 13 points, two rebounds, and seven assists at the half. Curry made his third three-pointer of the evening, while Green led Golden State with 15 points, three rebounds, and one assist. With a 77–64 lead, Detroit scored 42 points in the paint and 62 percent from the field on 31-of-50 shooting, which was the second-most amount of points the Pistons had scored in a half this season.
Detroit had a strong start to the second half. Cunningham made a dunk after the Pistons forced a steal on the first possession. Moses Moody fouled Jalen Duren, who then finished a three-point play shortly after.
Golden State began to show signs of mental exhaustion as the Pistons maintained their lead into the third quarter. Detroit was ahead 88-71 with eight minutes remaining. The Warriors went on a 13–5 scoring run as Curry sparked a response with a deep three-pointer and then a three-point play.
But Golden State’s turnover problems remained as they gave up 17 points, which Detroit turned into 29 points. Additionally, the Pistons outscored the Warriors 26–5 in fast-break points and 54–28 in paint points.
Detroit entered the fourth quarter in control with a 108–95 advantage, while both All-Star starting guards — Curry and Cunningham — had 23 points each, giving Bay Area fans a show on the last Friday of January.
Buddy Hield and Moses Moody made two three-pointers to start the fourth quarter for the Warriors, but Cunningham answered for Detroit. With ten minutes left in the game, Curry was ruled out due to right knee soreness.
With eight minutes to go, Detroit was ahead 117–106, but Hield made a crucial three-pointer that cut the lead to eight. Golden State was now within 117-112 when Gui Santos made a three-pointer to start an 11-2 run.
In the closing minutes, the game stayed close. Both sides were swapping baskets as the score stood at 122–116 with four minutes remaining. Detroit held a four-point lead at 126–122 late in the game. With an 8-foot fadeaway, Tobias Harris pushed the lead to six, but Melton responded by making both of his free throws, cutting the lead back to four.
The Pistons moved to 35–12 after defeating the Warriors 131–124. This ended a four-game losing streak for Detroit and was their first victory over Golden State since January 4, 2023.
Cade Cunningham led the Detroit Pistons with 29 points and 11 assists, leading the team’s attack and setting the game’s tempo. With 21 points and 13 rebounds, Jalen Duren had a fantastic evening as well. He dominated inside and helped Detroit keep a commanding lead in the paint. While Tobias Harris was perfect from the free-throw line, going 9-of-9, grabbing eight rebounds, and making big shots late in the fourth quarter, Duncan Robinson went 5-of-10 from three-point range (50%), stretching Golden State’s defense. Ausar Thompson contributed energy and defensive stops, especially during transition. Thompson also did his best trying to guard Stephen Curry, as he is one of the team’s toughest defenders.
De’Anthony Melton came up off the bench with 18 points, four rebounds, and three assists for the Warriors, while Stephen Curry led the team with 23 points before leaving in the fourth quarter due to knee soreness. Golden State was unable to get past the young and tough Pistons despite their best efforts, and the Warriors were unable to carry out their usual second-half comeback efforts.
On Tuesday, February 3, 2026, the Golden State Warriors will meet the Philadelphia 76ers at Chase Center in San Francisco to return to play. The Warriors’ Black History Month will begin at 7 p.m., and fans will have another opportunity to watch Golden State play at home ,hopefully with a different outcome.
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