Detroit Pistons holding breath as they await update on Cade Cunningham's knee strain
There wasn’t an update officially available after the game, but Cade Cunningham’s impact — or lack thereof — was clear.
The Detroit Pistons suffered a 131-114 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night, playing the final 30 minutes of the game without their franchise player. A left knee strain caused Cunningham to exit 6:21 before halftime. It isn’t clear when he suffered the injury, but the Pistons couldn’t rule out the possibility that he’ll miss additional time.
It’s another blow in what has already been one of the worst seasons in franchise history. An Isaiah Livers layup tied the game at 43 immediately after Cunningham’s exit. The Pistons were then outscored by 23 points though the third quarter, in which they gave up 43 points.
The loss dropped the Pistons to 3-33 this season. And now they’ll hold their breath as they await the verdict on the severity of Cunningham’s injury.
MOTOR CADE: Cade Cunningham playing like a star. His next step: Delivering wins for Detroit Pistons.
“He’s important,” head coach Monty Williams said after the game. “Our franchise player. A guy like that can’t play, it has a trickle-down effect across the board. We have different guys stepping up in the pecking order, having to handle the ball and make plays and that kind of thing. Pretty clear how important Cade is to our program.”
It has been a career year for the 2021 No. 1 overall pick, who is averaging 23.4 points, 7.4 assists and 4.1 rebounds. The injury is his first setback since missing 70 games last season with a shin stress fracture, also on his left leg. He and Ausar Thompson are the only Pistons to appear in all 36 games this season.
His season averages don’t capture how good he has been in recent weeks, though, scoring at least 30 points in six of his past nine games while improving his playmaking and cutting down on turnovers. In that stretch, he’s averaging 29.1 points, 8.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals on 52.7% shooting, including 38.8% shooting from 3.
The Pistons have become accustomed to his second-half scoring surges. He went 9-for-11 to score 21 in Friday's final two quarters against the Golden State Warriors, giving the team a chance to win after trailing by 11 points midway through the fourth.
That was preceded by 17 second-half points on 7-for-9 shooting against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, 26 points on 8-for-12 shooting in their skid-stopping home win over the Toronto Raptors on Dec. 30, 37 points on 13-for-16 shooting against the Brooklyn Nets on Dec. 26, and 31 points on 10-for-13 shooting in Atlanta against the Hawks on Dec. 18. He topped 40 points against the Nets and Hawks, the first 40-point performances of his career.
Cunningham has been a lot of things for the Pistons this season — playmaker, primary option on offense and late-game closer. If he misses time, that will be tough to replace. Detroit failed to fight back as the Nuggets ran away with the game in the third quarter.
“He’s one of the main guys who contribute to our team in a huge way,” Jalen Duren said. “Not just scoring — he’s a facilitator, he’s a guy that attracts a lot of people to him. He has a lot of gravity towards him. Not having him, we just have to make adjustments. But that’s not an excuse. Next guy up, next man mentality and we’re supposed to be ready for that.”
Killian Hayes started the second half in Cunningham’s stead Sunday, and Marcus Sasser logged nearly 11 minutes. A potential extended absence should open more playing time for the 2023 first-round pick, who has been toward the end of Williams’ rotation and has played more than 20 minutes in a game just once since Nov. 30. Sasser is shooting 48.6% overall and 42.9% from 3 this season, albeit in limited minutes.
“Trying to figure out ways to get Sass on the floor, but not take away minutes from guys that have played well,” Williams said Wednesday. "It’s hard to play all of those guys. Somebody’s gonna take a hit. That’s basically what it’s been the last few weeks. He literally hasn’t done anything wrong. He’s had his ups and down as a young player, but the way he played the other day at the end, you can look at that and I’m sure people are like, ‘Play Sass,’ that kind of thing.”
In addition to Sasser, the Pistons could also lean harder on Hayes and Jaden Ivey, who has started Detroit’s past 10 games. Hayes was Williams’ preferred starter at the beginning of the season, and he’ll have tough rotation decisions ahead if he’s without his star guard.
It isn’t clear how Cunningham suffered his injury. He wasn’t listed on the pregame injury report, and there wasn’t a specific play Sunday when it appeared to happen. He did bang knees in the fourth quarter against the Warriors on Friday, but Williams said after Sunday’s loss that he couldn’t comment on the likelihood that it factored into Cunningham’s strain.
The Pistons have lost four straight games, but have a soft patch in their schedule approaching. They’ll host the 5-30 San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday and travel to Washington to face the 6-29 Wizards on Monday.
They’re certainly hoping Cunningham will be on the floor for both games as they look to turn their disastrous season around.
Duren feeling good after missing time with ankle injury
Duren, the second-year big, has only appeared in 21 of the team’s 36 games this season, thanks to ankle soreness. The team shut him down from Dec. 8-23 after he sprained his left ankle. Prior to that, he missed time in November to rest his ailing ankles.
He has played seven straight games since returning and tallied double-doubles in the first six before grabbing just five rebounds on Sunday. Entering the Nuggets game, he had averaged 14.5 points and 13.7 rebounds since Christmas.
“I feel good,” Duren said after Sunday’s game, in which he scored a team-high 20 points and dished out four assists. “Just feeling like I’m getting back to where I was to start the ceiling. I’m at the point where I’m not playing with pain. Really being able to work out and get my body back right. Feeling good.”
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him @omarisankofa.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Cade Cunningham's left knee strain puts Detroit Pistons in bind
