Cade Cunningham's return revs Detroit Pistons, but only for so long in loss to Minnesota
The Detroit Pistons’ injury report improved, finally, Wednesday in Minneapolis: Cade Cunningham returned from a two-game absence, and Jalen Duren suited up after missing their last three.
The team responded with its best performance in a week — for almost three quarters. They led the Minnesota Timberwolves by five points midway through the third quarter, but the Western Conference contender later answered with a 22-6 run that clinched yet another loss.
The Pistons fell to the T'wolves on the road, 106-91. Cunningham led all scorers with 32 points, starting strong to help the Pistons exchange blows with the T-wolves, who were without Karl-Anthony Towns, still recovering from a meniscus tear. Detroit was still banged up, however.
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Jaden Ivey missed the game with left knee soreness, and the Pistons were still without Ausar Thompson, Isaiah Stewart, Simone Fontecchio, Quentin Grimes, Stanley Umude and Taj Gibson.
Minnesota ended the third with a 16-2 run to take control for good, and the run extended to 22-6 following back-to-back 3s by Mike Conley and Jordan McLaughlin, pushing the lead to 84-70. Outside of Cunningham, the Pistons got 14 points off of the bench from Malachi Flynn and 11 points, 11 rebounds and four assists from Duren.
Naz Reid led the Wolves with 21 points and eight rebounds, and Jaden McDaniels added 20 points. Rudy Gobert also had a double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds.
The Pistons (12-61) have lost eight straight games and need four wins in their final nine games to avoid setting a franchise record for fewest wins.
Cunningham aggressive in return
Toward the end of the third quarter, Cunningham found James Wiseman underneath the basket. It didn’t lead to a bucket, but the Pistons got the points anyway thanks to a goaltending call.
It was Cunningham’s lone assist until the final period. By the end of the third quarter, he had 25 points on 20 shot attempts, while his teammates had combined for 43 shots. On a night the team lacked significant firepower, he embraced being the engine. And it worked, until the T'wolves delivered the knockout blow at the end of the third quarter.
Cunningham got off to a quick start, scoring 12 of Detroit’s first 17 points, including a pair of 3-pointers. His assist to Wiseman brought the Pistons within six points, 25-19, before he checked out. The second unit kept the Pistons in striking distance until Cunningham checked back in just past the eight-minute mark of the second quarter.
He had a quiet finish to the half but resumed his strong night in the third, capping a 15-4 Pistons run with a pair of free throws and transition layup to give them the lead, 60-55. A T'wolves run started before Cunningham checked out again, with the Pistons trailing by two points. By the time he returned, they were facing a 12-point deficit.
It didn’t end with a win, but the Pistons looked like a competent team during his minutes after a particularly rough stretch of games — a 124-99 blowout to the New York Knicks, 114-101 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans and 129-102 loss to the Boston Celtics. Cunningham missed the first two games, but suited up against the Celtics.
With just nine games left this season, there may not be much else for Cunningham to prove while carrying a depleted roster. Wednesday was another reminder that the third-year guard improved his game this season, with career-high efficiency as both a scorer and distributor. Wednesday marked his 16th time cracking the 30-point threshold this season.
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him @omarisankofa.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons fall to Minnesota, 106-91, in Cade Cunningham's return
