Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham made an encouraging return to action on Wednesday night, recording a double-double as his team cruised past the Milwaukee Bucks 137-111.
Playing for the first time since March 19, Cunningham finished with 13 points and 10 assists in just 26 minutes on the floor. The guard had been sidelined after suffering a collapsed lung during Detroit’s win over the Washington Wizards, making his comeback a significant boost for the Eastern Conference leaders ahead of the playoffs.
“I felt really good out there,” Cunningham said. “I have to thank the medical staff and the trainers, because they got me into a great place where I felt comfortable for all my minutes.”
Before the injury setback, Cunningham had been enjoying an outstanding season, averaging 24.5 points, 9.9 assists and 5.6 rebounds across 61 games. Despite losing their star playmaker for nearly three weeks, Detroit maintained its momentum impressively, posting an 8-3 record during his absence.
Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff praised the collective effort shown by the squad while Cunningham was unavailable.
“You never want to see what happened to Cade, but we couldn’t just focus on the negatives,” Bickerstaff said. “No one thought they could replace Cade, but everyone decided they were going to be the best version of themselves. That’s enough for us to be successful.”
Bickerstaff added that Cunningham’s workload over Detroit’s final two regular-season games will depend on how his body responds.
Cunningham’s late return also adds intrigue to the NBA awards race. He is widely regarded as a strong contender for All-NBA First Team recognition, but league eligibility rules may complicate his chances. Even if Cunningham appears in Detroit’s final three games, he will only reach 64 games played this season. Current NBA rules require players to feature in at least 65 games to qualify for most major seasonal awards.
“I respect what they are trying to do with the rule — fans pay a lot of money to see superstars play, not rest,” Bickerstaff said. “It puts me in a tough spot, but I know people are talking about exceptions. I’m not sure how that works, so I’m just going to finish the season and see what happens.”
Detroit’s bigger focus, however, is clearly on the postseason.
The Pistons, now 57-22, have already secured the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. They have also captured the Central Division title for the first time in 18 years and are chasing their first playoff series victory since the 2007-08 campaign.
“A lot of our guys got some great reps to build confidence and learn new ways we can attack, both offensively and defensively,” Bickerstaff said. “That’s important, because you see so many different things in the playoffs.”
