Cade Cunningham's Historic 46 Point Triple-Double

The Detroit Pistons are 9-2 and sit atop the Eastern Conference standings, exceeding expectations. While many thought that they would once again be a top-five team in the conference and a solid playoff contender, few expected a start like this. 

On Monday, Pistons’ star point guard Cade Cunningham put up a jaw-dropping 46 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists triple-double, as the team pulled out a 137-135 overtime victory against the hapless Washington Wizards. One of the more interesting things of note is that it took Cunningham 45 shots to reach his career high total.

Shooting just 14-for-45 from the field, resulting in 31 missed shots, the most by any player in a single game in over twenty years, Cunningham broke former Lakers great Kobe Bryant’s unfortunate record of 30 misses set nearly twenty-three years to the day (November 7, 2002). Unlike the Pistons, the Lakers would lose that game 98-95 to the Boston Celtics with Bryant finishing with 41 points on 17-for-47 shots.  

Despite the lack of efficiency, it wasn’t as if Cunningham was putting up reckless shots, as he was getting to his spots, with good open looks at the hoop, taking the kinds of shots that the Pistons offense welcomes and needs. Unfortunately for Cunningham, the shots just didn’t fall, but as the leader of the team and the focal point of the offense, especially in an overtime thriller, it was important that he remain in the flow of the offense.

Cunningham also added five steals to his stat line, joining Michael Jordan as the only players in NBA history to record 40+ points, 10+ rebounds, 10+ assists, and 5+ steals in a single outing, as he helped the Pistons record their seventh straight victory. 

Monday’s explosive stat line also put the fifth-year point guard in exclusive company with another Pistons’ star, Hall-of-Fame guard Isiah Thomas, as the second player in team history to post a 40-point triple-double.