In a game that went to overtime twice, Cade Cunningham did not merely score a career-high 52 points — he did so without a single turnover, dishing out 11 assists. The Detroit Pistons snatched a victory from the Washington Wizards with a score of 144:140, and that evening became not just a statistical curiosity but a signal of how the face of a team that until recently was considered an outsider is changing.
According to Reuters and Bleacher Report, Cunningham became the first NBA player since 1977–78 to score 50+ points and 10+ assists without turnovers. He made 16 of 25 field-goal attempts, including three of five from beyond the arc, and 17 of 18 from the free-throw line. In the fourth quarter and the overtimes he accounted for 30 points — that was precisely when the Pistons turned the game around.
For the Wizards, Trae Young (37 points and 14 assists) and Anthony Davis (30 points and 15 rebounds) shone, but the team from Washington lost its sixth straight game. Young Alex Sarr added 30 points, yet the Wizards' defense could not stop Cunningham's surges at the key moments.
Particularly noteworthy is that Cunningham's teammate Ausar Thompson recorded the first triple-double of his career — 17 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. These are not just numbers: the Pistons are displaying a synchronicity rare for them, in which one player's leadership does not suppress but strengthens the collective.
Imagine a chess player who plays a game without losing a single piece — that is exactly how Cunningham looked that evening. His error-free efficiency became the very mechanism that allowed Detroit to survive two overtimes and preserve its advantage in the closing stretch.
This game shows not only Cunningham's personal peak but also the Pistons' potential in a season where every flawless evening can become a step toward the playoffs. For the Wizards, meanwhile, it once again underscores how thin the line is between a dazzling offense and systemic breakdowns.
