During the second half of the Pistons 111-108 win over the 76ers last night, Detroit guard Cade Cunningham took his game to another level with 24 of his 26 points coming after the break. Whether by dribble drive or by jump shot, Cunningham was in control of the Detroit offense, and he calmly guided the Pistons to their sixth straight victory, securing the team’s first place position in the East. 

As of late, crunch-time heroics have become part of Cunningham’s typical procedure. Just last week, Cunningham scored 19 points in the fourth quarter of consecutive games to help prolong Detroit’s winning streak, and he’s lodged more assists in the month of November than any other player in the NBA.

“It's his routine,” Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “He's elite when the game is on the line. There's not many people in this league that can do the things that he does, get to the spots that he gets to, and then when he finishes, he can hurt you and get all the way to the rim, makes his free throws when it matters. So, there's just so much he does, but the unsung part about it is what he does for us defensively too. You know, he's always in the right spot. He comes up with steals for us and he competes on that end of it too.”

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As Bickerstaff mentioned, Cunningham is a high-level two-way point guard who can defend multiple positions with his 6-6 frame. Against Philadelphia, Cunningham helped lead a defensive charge in the second half, and the Pistons held the 76ers to just 44 points in the final two quarters to put the game on ice.

Now, the 76ers chose to deploy double teams to Cunningham repeatedly throughout the matchup, and according to StatMuse Philadelphia doubled Cade more than any other player in NBA history during the track era. So, Cunningham faced intense pressure throughout the game and was still able to come through for the Pistons in the clutch moments. 

“I think it was a similar game plan,” Cunningham said. “I just found better openness. I think maybe they weren't as sharp, maybe I was more sharp. I think it could be a combination of both, but I think it's a mindset and then just me feeling like I found openness.”

READ MORE: Cade Comes In Clutch: Cunningham Scores 26 As Pistons Top 76ers, 111-108

Now in his fifth season, Cunningham has improved immensely at reading defenses and finding his shot, and it’s resulted in a more efficient style of play for the All-Star guard. The potentially jarring aspect about Cunningham’s game is not simply the level which he’s already reached– it’s that Cade is still improving.

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