Down 23 points at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday, Brooklyn still found a way to beat the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons, pulling off the fifth-largest comeback in franchise history and avoiding a season sweep.

Four days later, the Pistons showed up at Barclays Center with Cade Cunningham back in uniform, and they made sure the lesson was clear.

The Nets saw their two-game win streak snapped Tuesday night, falling to the Pistons 138-100 and dropping to 17-48. Brooklyn played without Ziaire Williams and Day’Ron Sharpe, and this was the Nets’ second game since Egor Dëmin was ruled out for the season. Detroit, meanwhile, had its All-Star guard back, and Cunningham wasted no time reminding everyone why he changes the shape of a game.

Cunningham finished with 21 points, three rebounds and 15 assists. Jalen Duren added 26 points, four rebounds and two assists, and Duncan Robinson scored 15 points while going 3-for-3 from 3-point range.

Michael Porter Jr. led the Nets with 19 points in 22 minutes, but Brooklyn never found enough offense to make it competitive. Rookies Drake Powell, Danny Wolf and Ben Saraf finished in double figures with 10, 13 and 10 points, respectively. Saraf dished out a team-high six assists.

Detroit’s fingerprints were all over the areas that usually decide nights like this. The Pistons held Brooklyn to 42% shooting, racked up 26 second-chance points off 10 offensive rebounds and turned 19 Nets turnovers into 29 points. Cunningham and Duren took control early, and the Pistons never gave it back.

Cunningham came out sharp enough to erase any suspense in the building. He started 4-for-4 from the field in the first quarter and handed out four assists, while Duren matched him with a perfect 5-for-5 start of his own. Together, they spearheaded a 57.1% shooting effort in the opening period.

Porter tried to keep Brooklyn attached early, scoring nine points while starting 3-for-3. The Nets also took care of the ball, committing just one turnover in the first quarter. But it didn’t lead to any real advantage because Detroit was just as secure with the rock. Brooklyn forced only one Pistons turnover, went 0-for-6 from 3-point range in the period and needed a perfect 13-for-13 start at the free throw line just to keep the game close.

Even then, the Nets were chasing. Detroit led by as many as 16 in the first quarter and took a 38-27 lead into the second. Outside of six points and another electric slam from Josh Minott, no other Net who saw the court in the opening period found much rhythm.

The second quarter is where the Pistons stopped entertaining the idea of another scare. A 9-0 run, powered by a heavy dose of Cunningham, blew the game open and pushed Detroit ahead 49-29 as Brooklyn went ice-cold from the field. The Nets’ night got even tougher from there. Noah Clowney picked up his fourth personal foul with 6:56 left in the half, and Porter was already having to play cautiously with three fouls. Moments earlier, Nolan Traoré was hit with a flagrant foul for shoving Ron Holland to the ground.

Detroit kept stacking damage. Cunningham found Duren on a lob that pushed the lead to 30, and by halftime it was 73-40. Brooklyn was outscored 35-13 in the second quarter, went 0-for-14 from 3-point range in the first half and committed nine turnovers. The Pistons made nine of their 18 3-point attempts and shot 53.3% overall.

Cunningham had 20 points and seven assists at the break and didn’t miss his first shot until a 3-pointer he heaved at the second-quarter buzzer. He started 8-for-8. Duren had 15 points on 6-for-6 shooting, and the All-Star tandem combined for 35 points, nearly outscoring the Nets by themselves. Porter had 14 points at halftime and Saraf added 10, but no other Net scored more than four.

Clowney finally hit Brooklyn’s first 3-pointer with 10:18 left in the third quarter, but there wasn’t much else to grab onto over the final two quarters. Detroit broke the 100-point mark with 3:11 left in the third while Brooklyn had only 63. The Pistons took a 32-point lead into the fourth, and it was clear sailing barring a historic collapse.

It was never closer than 34 points down the stretch.

The Nets will return to action Thursday against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena, the first game of a two-game road trip.