Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham had an off shooting night against the Suns
Last night, the Pistons welcomed the challenge of reintegrating several key players back into the lineup as Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Tobias Harris and Isaiah Stewart all made their return against the Phoenix Suns.
With Cunningham back running the show, the Pistons gutted out a slim three-point win over the Suns in a game full of momentum swings throughout. Cunningham finished the game with a double-double, posting 10 points and 11 assists, four rebounds and a block in the victory, but that stat line does not tell the whole story.
From the field, Cunningham finished 3-for-16 with a brutal 0-for-7 mark from three-point range, and the All-Star point guard turned the ball over five times as well. The Suns opted to pick Cunningham up full-court in the first half, and a physical Phoenix squad worked to disrupt Cade’s rhythm all game long.
“Tonight wasn't going to be an easy game, obviously,” Bickerstaff said after the game. “Give them credit for how good they are in the style they play, but it's also difficult to bring as many guys back into a lineup as we tried to bring back. How many guys were trying to figure it out, catch their own rhythm throughout that first half.”
Despite having an off night from a shooting perspective, Cunningham still set his teammates up and facilitated the Detroit offense as a playmaker. Six Pistons scored in double digits against the Suns, and Cunningham helped organize the offense against a consistently physical Phoenix squad.
“I mean, we had three starters come back tonight,” Bickerstaff said. “Guys that have been out for a little bit of time, and that's not easy, right? Trying to catch that first wind, against a team that is as physical and plays with the tempo that they play with, that wasn't going to be easy. So, I thought our guys did a good job, like I said. We got off to a slow start but didn't panic and trusted what we're best at, and that was our defense, again, holding them to 15 points in the fourth quarter. You'll give yourself a chance if you can do that.”
Now standing at 29-10 on the season, the Pistons have climbed to the Eastern Conference’s top position thanks to a relentless defense. The Pistons are the No. 1 squad in the NBA in terms of expected points against per field goal attempt, and Detroit’s ability to hold the Suns to just 15 points in the fourth quarter made the difference in last night’s victory.
“I give our guys a ton of credit for sticking with it like they always do, lifting each other up, supporting each other, like everybody taking advantage of their minutes,” Bickerstaff said. “So again, give our guys a ton of credit for just figuring it out early on.”
Now, Cunningham is unlikely to struggle shooting from the field to this degree in the future, but he could still be feeling the lingering effects of a wrist injury that held the third-team All-Pro out of two games. Cade averages over 26 points per game this year, and his off shooting night is likely an aberration during a season littered with clutch, dynamic two-way performances.
Moving forward, the Pistons will host the Indiana Pacers at home on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 7:30 pm.
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