Cade Cunningham just turned in one of the most absurd stat lines we’ve seen in decades. This dude went off for 52 points and 11 assists with ZERO turnovers to drag the Pistons to a wild 144-140 double overtime win against the Washington Wizards Thursday night.
Cunningham’s Historic Takeover
It’s official: Cunningham is the first player since at least 1978 to drop at least 50 points and 10 assists without a single turnover. That’s *forty-five years* folks. He kept it clean, but he wasn’t quiet. Cunningham himself called it, “the best I’ve ever done it in my NBA career for sure.” He only had 22 points after three quarters, but then decided to put the team on his back, going for 18 points in the fourth. Still wasn’t enough to avoid the drama, with Trae Young sinking a three-pointer at the buzzer to force overtime. Then, Washington jumped out to a seven-point lead in the first OT. But Cunningham wasn’t done, hitting a jumper, two free throws, and a three to tie it back up at 130. Duncan Robinson put the Pistons up, only for AJ Dybantsa, the top overall pick, to tie it again with less than a second left. Insanity!
Battle of the No. 1 Picks and Franchise Records
This game was a heavyweight fight, featuring four former No. 1 overall picks. We’re talking Dybantsa, Anthony Davis, Deandre Ayton, and the man of the hour, Cunningham. Davis was a beast for the Wizards, putting up 30 points and 15 rebounds before fouling out in the second overtime after Cunningham hit a three that put the Pistons up 135-132. Trae Young wasn’t exactly quiet either, dropping 37 points, and Alex Sarr added 30. That’s *three* 30-point scorers for Washington, a feat they haven’t pulled off since 1969 when they were the Baltimore Bullets! But even with all that firepower, they couldn’t stop Cunningham. His 52 points also put him in elite Pistons company, tying George Yardley’s 52-point game in 1958 for the fourth-highest scoring total in franchise history. Only Jerry Stackhouse (57 in 2001), Kelly Tripucka (56 in 1983), and Dave Bing (54 in 1971) have scored more. And get this, no other Detroit player even broke 21 points, with Daniss Jenkins hitting that mark but not scoring after the third quarter. Cunningham wasn’t just scoring, he was dominating, even overshadowing Ausar Thompson’s first career triple-double of 17 points, 11 assists, and 11 rebounds. Thompson summed it up perfectly: “He led us through the fourth quarter and overtimes. He did what he does. One person can’t just guard him.”
After a performance like that, you know every single opponent is going to have Cade Cunningham circled on their calendar. You just can’t deny that kind of game. How do you even prepare for a guy who drops 50+ with absolutely no mistakes in double OT? Good luck, rest of the league.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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