With two seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Pistons trailed the Wizards by three points and were inbounding the ball. Who did Detroit turn to for the final shot? The one, the only– Daniss Jenkins.

Standing in the corner, Jenkins snatched the ball and promptly hoisted a triple with mere tenths of a second on the clock. Jenkins sent the game to overtime in the process with both teams gridlocked at 127 points apiece. 

In the extra frame, Duncan Robinson hit a clutch three-pointer with just over a minute left to give the Pistons a one-point advantage. Shortly thereafter, Detroit center Jalen Duren snagged an offensive rebound and dropped a dime to Javonte Green, who slashed to the rim through the back door for an uncontested slam dunk and a 136-133 edge. The Pistons eventually grinded out the free throw battle and walked away from Monday night’s contest with a two-point overtime win, 137-135 preserving the squad’s position atop the Eastern Conference at 9-2 on the year.

In the dramatic finish, Cade Cunningham had another prolific scoring display, totalling 46 points to go along with 12 rebounds, 11 assists and five steals in his triple-double. However, Cunningham did not have his most efficient night at the office, going just 14-45 from the field, but the Detroit All-Star’s usage rate was staggering in the game. Cunningham finished with 44 minutes for the Pistons, which stood as four minutes longer than the next-highest Detroit timecard.

At one point, Cunningham hit the court hard after a contested finish at the rim, and it was clear that the third-team All-Pro's back was hurting him. Cunningham gritted it out and remained in the game, however, making his high-scoring triple-double even more notable.

"He's the one who's going to lead this team wherever we go," Duren said of Cunningham after the game. "And to see him fight through it, especially on the back-to-back, and to come out and especially in overtime, and be the great player he is. He just gave us a huge boost."

Now, it was to be expected that Cunningham would need to play a starring role in Monday’s game for the Pistons on the second leg of a back-to-back. Detroit was without a slew of key players for the Wizards game, sporting an injury list with the likes of Isaiah Stewart, Tobias Harris, Ausar Thompson, Caris LeVert, Jaden Ivey and Marcus Sasser all unable to play. So, Cunningham was destined to carry a heavy burden on his shoulders from the jump.

Throughout the Pistons’ nine-game winning streak, the club has relied on Cunningham and Duren as the team’s bread and butter. That was exceedingly true against the Wizards as the Pistons center, who is making a strong All-Star claim, logged 19 points and 14 rebounds to help compliment Cunningham’s efforts.

Cade Cunningham Named Eastern Conference Player Of The Week The Detroit Pistons star guard was honored for his dominance over the past week

But with the game on the line, at the end of the fourth quarter, second-year guard Daniss Jenkins delivered the key shot to keep the Pistons alive in the matchup. Jenkins played an important role all night long, posting 24 points, eight rebounds, four steals and three assists in a game where his role grew substantially. Jenkins was on the court for 34 minutes for Detroit, and his killer instinct shined when the lights were brightest.

In particular, one area in which Detroit really took advantage of the Wizards was on the glass. Though both teams ended with 35 defensive rebounds, the Pistons held a stark 28-11 edge on the offensive glass. Detroit was stingy in collecting second-chance opportunities all game long, and that relentless pursuit helped the Pistons eventually outlast the struggling Wizards unit.

READ MORE: Bickerstaff: Cade Cunningham's Knack For Taking Over Games Has Become 'Routine'

Keeping hold of the No. 1 spot in the Central Division, the Detroit Pistons will have a day off before hosting the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 7 pm. 

For more information on the latest Detroit Pistons team or player news, follow @EricJRutter on X for continued basketball coverage.