WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Wizards kept making last-second shots, forcing Cade Cunningham to play an extra 10 minutes.
All that did was turn a great night into a historic one for the Detroit star.
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Cunningham scored 52 points and had 11 assists, leading the Pistons to a 144-140 win in double overtime Thursday night. He became the first player since at least 1978 with at least 50 points and 10 assists in a game with no turnovers. In a game that was tight pretty much throughout, Cunningham kept mistakes to a minimum while still being incredibly productive.
“It was the best I’ve ever done it in my NBA career for sure,” Cunningham said.
Cunningham had only 22 points after three quarters before scoring 18 in the fourth. That still wasn’t enough because Trae Young’s 3-pointer at the buzzer tied the game at 121. Then Washington scored the first seven points of overtime, but there was still plenty of time for Cunningham. A jumper, two free throws and a 3-pointer later, he’d tied the game at 130.
Duncan Robinson put the Pistons ahead with a jumper, but AJ Dybantsa — the top overall pick in this year’s draft — tied it with less than a second left for Washington.
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There were four players in this game who were picked No. 1 overall — Dybantsa, Anthony Davis, Deandre Ayton and Cunningham. Davis had 30 points and 15 rebounds for the Wizards before fouling out in the second overtime after Cunningham made a 3 to put the Pistons up 135-132.
Young scored 37 points and Alex Sarr added 30. The Wizards had not had three 30-point scorers in a game since Nov. 18, 1969, when the team was called the Baltimore Bullets and Mike Davis, Earl Monroe and Gus Johnson formed the high-scoring trio against the San Diego Rockets.
Cunningham equaled the fourth-highest scoring total in franchise history for the Pistons. Jerry Stackhouse scored 57 points in a 2001 game, Kelly Tripucka had 56 in 1983, Dave Bing had 54 in 1971 and George Yardley scored 52 in 1958.
No other Detroit player scored more points than Daniss Jenkins’ 21, and he didn’t have any after the third quarter. Down the stretch, Cunningham took over, even overshadowing teammate Ausar Thompson’s first career triple-double.
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“He led us through the fourth quarter and overtimes,” said Thompson, who had 17 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds. “He did what he does. One person can’t just guard him.”
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