Cade Cunningham played perhaps the best half of his career, but it took a true team effort from the Detroit Pistons to secure the 148-143 win against the Atlanta Hawks after Atlanta deployed an anyone but Cade defense in the second half.
Cunningham and Atlanta Hawks’ star Trae Young both finished with 38 points on the night. As they canceled each other out, the question was which team’s other players were going to step up and take the victory. Tonight, it was Piston after Pistons who stepped up.
The biggest clutch plays late belonged to new Pistons point guard and former Hawk Dennis Schroder. The backup point guard was able to help Detroit notch its sixth consecutive win with three assists and seven points in the final quarter. His toughest basket was a tough scoop fall-away layup to put Detroit up 141-140 with 33 seconds left to give the Pistons a lead they would not relinquish.
Cunningham hit a career-high seven three-pointers, including multiple several feet behind the line. Twenty-nine of his 38 came in the first half, and he added 11 first-half assists as well. Atlanta was determined not to let Cade beat them in the second half, and Cunningham trusted in his teammates to get the job done. Because Cade finally has teammates who can get the job done.
Seven Pistons finished in double-figures, and the 148 points on the night was the most in regulation since 1984. The team also compiled 39 assists, the most since 2008.
It was a battle all night, and the Pistons had to navigate early foul trouble to two of its rising young players as both Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren had three fouls before the midpoint of the first quarter.
Limited to a combined 40 minutes of action because of fouls, Thompson and Duren made them count. The pair was 13-for-14 for a combined 27 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and four steals. Their activity helped Detroit keep pace with a blistering Atlanta team.
Trae Young scored 38 points to match Cunningham, while Georges Niang scored 27 off the bench, Dyson Daniels scored 24, and rookie Zacharrie Risacher had an impressive 19.
Both teams were hot from deep, and it led to neither side being comfortable, no matter the score. The Pistons built an extended cushion between eight and 10 points, but no lead is safe when Atlanta is 21-of-45 from deep and gets 26 points from the free-throw line. Luckily, Detroit was even better from deep — 20-of-40. Cade led the team with seven threes, but Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. were both 6-of-10 from deep.
The Pistons won’t get much time to bask in their hard-fought victory. They suit up again Monday night back at Little Caesars Arena against the visiting Los Angeles Clippers.