The Detroit Pistons extended their remarkable winning streak to seven games after edging the Washington Wizards 137–135 in overtime on Monday night, thanks to a historic performance from Cade Cunningham, a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Daniss Jenkins, and a game-sealing dunk from Javonte Green.
Cunningham delivered one of the most electrifying performances of the NBA season, notching a career-high 46 points, along with 12 rebounds, 11 assists, and 5 steals. Despite a rough shooting night—making just 14 of 45 field goals—the 23-year-old guard’s relentless attack and poise down the stretch propelled Detroit to victory.
He was also 16-for-18 from the free-throw line, showcasing his aggressiveness in the paint and his ability to draw contact. Cunningham’s 31 missed field goals set an unusual NBA record for most misses in a game since the league began tracking the stat in 1983, surpassing Kobe Bryant’s 30 misses from November 7, 2002.
Down by 11 points with less than five minutes remaining in regulation, Detroit stormed back behind Cunningham’s clutch baskets and defensive stops from Ausar Thompson. Jenkins, a rookie guard out of St. John’s, drilled a deep three-pointer at the buzzer to tie the game at 124–124, forcing overtime.
In the extra period, both teams traded leads until Green’s emphatic put-back dunk with 2.3 seconds left sealed the win, sending the Little Caesars Arena crowd into a frenzy.
The loss marked the ninth straight defeat for Washington, dropping them to a league-worst 1–10 record. Despite strong efforts from Kyle Kuzma (32 points) and Jordan Poole (27 points), the Wizards couldn’t close the game after holding a double-digit lead late.
Cunningham became just the third player in franchise history—joining Grant Hill and Dave Bing—to record a 40-point triple-double. His 46 points are also the most by a Pistons player since Blake Griffin’s 50-point game in 2018.
With the win, Detroit improved to 7–3, their best start since 2008. The Pistons will next face the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday in what promises to be another key test for the rising young squad.
