DETROIT — After missing the Detroit Pistons last game, All-Star Cade Cunningham is available and set to start Friday night when they take on the Houston Rockets at Little Caesars Arena.
Cunningham was absent Wednesday night on the road against the New Orleans Pelicans — where the [Pistons won 112-104](https://www.mlive.com/pistons/2026/01/pistons-top-pelicans-without-leading-scorer-to-extend-winning-streak.html) — due to a left hip contusion and an illness. It was the third game Cunningham missed this month, sixth this season, however this was the first due to a hip issue.
The Pistons won’t have to worry about consecutive missed games from their leading scorer at this point as Cunningham was heavily involved in the open portion of shootaround Friday morning and given the good-to-go ahead of the game.
While Cunningham is putting up ridiculous numbers as one of two players in the NBA averaging 25+ points, 9+ assists and 5+ rebounds per game, the Pistons have fared just fine without their star player. Detroit has a 5-1 record in games without Cunningham, but assuredly prefer when he’s out on the court leading the Eastern Conference frontrunners.
Illness has made its way through the Pistons locker room as Isaiah Stewart, Ron Holland and Caris LeVert have all been tagged with the designation in the past two weeks.
LeVert will miss his second straight game due to an illness on Friday, while Holland continues to be available despite holding the designation over the past two games.
The Pistons will look to win their fifth straight game when they face the Rockets. A win would mark the second-longest winning streak for Detroit this season behind their franchise-long 13-game streak earlier this season.