The Detroit Pistons continued to enjoy success without star guard Cade Cunningham available the past three games. But upon his return Tuesday night against the Atlanta Hawks, he gave a reminder why his impact on the court is still unmatched.
Cunningham posted his fifth straight game with 25-plus points and 10-plus assist in a win — joining Oscar Robertson and Nikola Jokic as the only players in NBA history to do so — and hit a pair of clutch shots in the closing minutes to dispatch the Hawks, 120-112.
Center Jalen Duren added 20 points on his birthday, while fellow starters Duncan Robinson and Daniss Jenkins scored 14 a piece with the latter having seven assists.
With the victory, the Pistons (13-2) have won 11 straight games matching their longest winning streak in the past 20 years. Detroit also ended a five-game winning streak for the Hawks (9-6).
The Pistons got Cunningham and Ausar Thompson back for Tuesday night’s game after missing seven combined games.
Cunningham bode his time with a quiet first quarter as Robinson and Duren took on the primary scoring roles.
Robinson hit a trio of three-pointers in the first five minutes while Duren followed up his 31-point, 15-rebound performance on Monday with 10 points in the first half on 5-of-6 shooting.
The Hawks stuck around and a Keaton Wallace buzzer-beating three-pointer only had the Pistons leading by five.
But Cunningham really got his game going in the second quarter, scoring eight points with assists on 4-of-9 baskets he didn’t make in the period.
Two of those assists were to set up rookie Chaz Lanier on three-pointers. The 37th overall pick scored a season-high nine points for the game, rattling off three makes from beyond the arc and continuing to show his capability as an impact player off the bench early in his career.
A 20-6 run got Detroit up by its largest advantage of the game at 19 points in the second quarter. While the Hawks made a few runs to cut into the lead, the Pistons stayed in front, 67-54, at halftime.
Atlanta got back into the matchup with a 13-4 run in the third quarter. But as Cunningham secured his eighth double-double of the season, he helped limit the damage with another six points and two assists in the period.
Going into the final quarter, the Pistons held a 12-point lead, which quickly disappeared as the Hawks went on a 16-5 run to pull within one point. Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker finally powered Atlanta back into striking distance, combining for 49 points for the night.
But out of a timeout midway through the fourth, the Pistons got back to their calling card for the season— defense.
Javonte Green forced a jump ball and batted the tip against Dyson Daniels to Robinson, who tapped it forward for Jenkins to run out ahead of the defense for a dunk.
On the next possession, the Pistons held the Hawks for a shot clock violation and Robinson finished at the rim to get Detroit ahead by five again. Thompson continued applying the defensive pressure with two blocks in the fourth quarter.
The Hawks didn’t go down easily, but with Cunningham’s return came his classic late-game clutch performances.
He rose up for a contested midrange shot in the final 90 seconds and drained it. After a quick defensive rebound from Isaiah Stewart, Cunningham pushed ahead and finished with a physical layup to put away Atlanta for good.
BOX SCORE
Up next: The Pistons get a three-day break before a three-game road trip that begins in Milwaukee Saturday night.
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