Earlier in the day, the Detroit Pistons announced that Jaden Ivey would be out for four weeks after undergoing surgery on his right knee, but the squad turned the day around with a 21-point win over the Washington Wizards at home, securing a 2-2 preseason record in the process.

With Cade Cunningham returning to the lineup, the Pistons were a bit more offensively-equipped on the night even without Ivey. Cunningham played much deeper into the game, joining Detroit’s starters all throughout the third quarter, and the Pistons used a steady 41% three-point shot along with a 12-point advantage in the paint to topple the Wizards in the preseason affair. 

Cade Makes His Preseason Return

With Cunningham running the show once again in Detroit, the Pistons jumped out to a quick lead as the All-Star guard went right to the rack on the opening possession and showed that his preseason rest against the Cavs is no cause for concern. Cunningham went 3-for-3, scoring seven points in the first three minutes, so the Oklahoma State product was firing on all cylinders right away.

After that, Cunningham fell into more of a distributor role for the rest of the first quarter. The Pistons started to clamp down defensively and created a few turnovers, and Detroit center Jalen Duren was the beneficiary of a lot of those free possessions. Duren slammed home a couple emphatic dunks, and he led the Pistons with 14 points in the first quarter.

BREAKING: Jaden Ivey Had Knee Surgery Today, Out For 4 Weeks Detroit shooting guard Jaden Ivey will be unavailable for about a month

As expected, Ausar Thompson was integral to Detroit’s defensive intensity in the first half, grabbing a team-high seven rebounds in his own right. And after cleaning the glass, Thompson often kept his head up and looked to jumpstart the fastbreak for Detroit to help keep the tempo high.

From a team perspective, the Pistons can hang their hat on a perfect performance from the charity stripe in the first half, converting eight out of eight attempts from the free throw line as Detroit held a 57-51 lead at the break.

Pistons Ramp Up Defensive Intensity In Second Half 

During the second half, Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff kept his starters in the game for much longer than in previous preseason contests. Cunningham continued to initiate the offense and helped Detroit keep its intensity up, and the All-Star guard ultimately ended the night with 12 assists, a team-high.

After halftime, the Pistons seemed to hone in defensively and stifled numerous Washington possessions with blocks or steals. Duren racked up three blocks and two steals on the night, which helps underscore the defensive pressure the Pistons were applying, especially in the paint. 

Towards the end of the fourth quarter, the Pistons cycled in a little more of the team’s bench. A combination of Tolu Smith, Bobi Klintman and Colby Smith saw extended minutes with Chaz Lanier and Ron Holland flanking them as Detroit coasted into its second preseason victory. Brice Williams entered the game as well, who’s an undrafted rookie out of Nebraska that signed an Exhibit 10 deal a couple weeks ago with Detroit opening up its bench to seal the win.

The Pistons will open the regular season on Wednesday, Oct. 22 against the Chicago Bulls on the road at 8 pm.

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