It’s the sign of a good team: When a starter, or even two, go down, others step up.

The Detroit Pistons were down two starters, including their best player and likely All-NBA guard Cade Cunningham, but rookie Ron Holland and second-year guard Marcus Sasser saved the day Sunday afternoon at Little Caesars Arena.

The bench duo combined for 46 points, each canning a clutch 3 in the final minutes to galvanize the Pistons to bounce back from a disappointing loss — Friday in Dallas — as they have all season, holding off the injury-riddled New Orleans Pelicans, 136-130.

Sure, they were playing the 14th-place Western Conference team in the downtrodden Pelicans, but the Pistons responded to heavy second-half haymakers from the Pels, who used a 19-point run to take a six-point lead late in the third.

But Holland and Sasser changed the game, and coach J.B. Bickerstaff left them in the game down the stretch in place of starters Malik Beasley and Ausar Thompson.

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“Ron did a really good job keeping the pace high and I feel like we just believed in each other and played to our culture,” Sasser said postgame.

The Pistons (40-32) remain two games back of Milwaukee (40-30) in the loss column for the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference standings and three back of 4-seed Indiana (41-29). The New York Knicks have a three-game lead for the No. 3 seed, meaning a Pistons-Knicks first-round matchup as the Nos. 6 vs. 3 seeds remains the most likely scenario when the playoffs start April 19.

CJ McCollum scored a game-high 40 points for the Pelicans, who connected on 20 of 40 3-pointers.

The Pistons embarrassed the Pelicans on Monday in New Orleans, 127-81. McCollum in that game shot 1-for-15 for a season-low three points.

Sasser and Holland provided most of the offense for the Pistons to weather a plethora of 3s and layups from the Pelicans, who had four players with at least seven assists.

Holland’s 26 points tied his career-high and Sasser’s 20 points were two off his season best.

“He’s done a tremendous job all year of only giving a (expletive) about the team, and his teammates,” Bickerstaff said in his postgame press conference.

The Pelicans (19-53) were without most of their best players, including starters out for the season Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones. Zion Williamson (back) was ruled out pregame.

The Pistons have another chance to gain ground in the playoff race Tuesday hosting lowly San Antonio, before a three-game gauntlet against Cleveland (home), Minnesota (road) and Oklahoma City (road).

Ron Holland changes the game

All season, Holland, a 19-year-old who played in the G League last season, has proved a valuable, energetic piece off the bench despite lacking any fear from opponents on his 3-point jump shot.

A sequence late in the third quarter helped turn the game back in the Pistons’ favor and they owed it to Holland. He scored six points in an 8-0 run to close the quarter after New Orleans dominated with hot 3-point shooting and connected defense.

Holland scored a layup, then after Jamal Cain blew a wide open fastbreak layup, Holland roared coast-to-coast for an emphatic slam bringing the nervous crowd to its feet.

Holland hustled to a loose ball on defense and drew a foul, missed both free throws, but again beat everyone to the ball. He settled himself, then drove past his defender and softly banked in a tough, hanging layup to tie the game at 91.

“He’s one of the best I’ve seen in transition, single-handedly,” Sasser said.

Holland continued the assault on the rim in the fourth quarter and even made a corner 3 to put the Pistons up 118-112 with 3:36 remaining. He entered the game shooting 21.7% on 3s this season.

Cade Cunningham injury update

Cunningham was ruled out just before tipoff with bilateral calf soreness, missing just his sixth game of the season.

Tim Hardaway Jr., who sprained his ankle in Friday’s loss to Dallas, was also inactive.

Dennis Schröder and Beasley started in the backcourt. Schröder scored 16, including seven free throws in the final minute to keep the Pelicans down two possessions, and Beasley chipped in 13 points.

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