Cade Cunningham delivered a career-high 52 points, 11 assists and no turnovers as the Detroit Pistons beat the Washington Wizards 144-140 in double overtime on Thursday. It was a huge scoring night, but the ball security made it unusual even by NBA standards.
According to the NBA’s account of the game, Cunningham is the first player to combine at least 50 points and 10 assists without a turnover since the league began tracking turnovers in 1977-78. He also became the first Pistons player with a 50-point, 10-assist game.
Why Cunningham’s 52-point game stands out
The scoring total surpassed Cunningham’s previous career best of 46, also set against Washington. His final line included five rebounds, one steal and one block alongside the 52 points and 11 assists.
The distinction is not simply that he scored 50. He created shots for teammates while avoiding a turnover across a game that needed two extra periods. The historical comparison has a clear limit: NBA turnover records date to 1977-78, so the claim should not be stretched to seasons before that statistic was tracked.
ESPN’s report also places Cunningham’s performance in that post-1977-78 statistical context. Detroit needed more than a big individual scoring total to finish the job.
Washington forced overtime twice
As The Associated Press reports, Trae Young hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to force the first overtime. Rookie AJ Dybantsa then extended the game again with a midrange shot with less than a second left.
Cunningham answered with an early three-pointer in the second overtime. Anthony Davis subsequently fouled out, and Detroit finally escaped with a four-point win. Washington’s late-shot rescues had kept the game alive, but they did not produce the victory.
Thompson adds his first triple-double
Ausar Thompson gave Detroit another major contribution with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, his first career triple-double, according to the NBA. Cunningham’s record line was the headline, but Thompson’s all-round production mattered in a game that remained unsettled through 48 minutes and the first overtime.
Young finished with 37 points and 14 assists for Washington. Davis had 30 points and 15 rebounds, while Alex Sarr added 30 points and nine rebounds. The Wizards still lost their sixth straight game.
The result leaves Detroit with both a win and a performance that belongs in its record book. For Washington, three 30-point scorers and two dramatic late equalisers were not enough to stop the losing run.
Archive photo: Cade Cunningham at Orange Power Studios, Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, Oklahoma, on July 2, 2020, not Thursday’s Pistons-Wizards game. Photo: Courtney Bay / OSU Athletics, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0. Further cropped, resized and compressed to WebP; adapted image shared under the same licence.
