Cade Cunningham scores career-high 52 as Pistons beat Wizards in double overtime

Cade Cunningham scored a career-best 52 points as the Detroit Pistons beat the Washington Wizards 144-140 after two overtimes on Thursday. The victory lifted Detroit to 8-3, while Washington fell to 4-9 despite repeatedly finding late baskets to keep the contest alive, Yahoo Sports reported.

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Cunningham also delivered 11 assists without committing a turnover. According to OptaSTATS, cited by the Associated Press, he became the first NBA player to combine at least 50 points and 10 assists with no turnovers since the league began officially recording that statistic in 1977-78. That qualification matters: the available record does not establish whether a player achieved the same combination before turnovers were tracked.

His scoring came on 16 successful field-goal attempts from 25, including three three-pointers from five attempts, plus 17 free throws from 18. Yahoo Sports reported that Ausar Thompson supplied another milestone for Detroit with his first career triple-double: 17 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. Thompson also contributed three steals and three blocks.

Washington forced the first extra period through a Trae Young three-pointer at the end of regulation. Rookie AJ Dybantsa then extended the game again with a late midrange basket. The Associated Press reported that Cunningham opened the second overtime with a three-pointer before Anthony Davis fouled out, giving Detroit an advantage after the Wizards had twice avoided defeat at the buzzer.

Young finished with 37 points and 14 assists for Washington, while Davis and Alex Sarr each scored 30. Davis added 15 rebounds. Those individual totals were not enough to stop the Wizards' losing streak reaching six games. Their three leading scorers accounted for 97 of the team's 140 points, but Cunningham's performance helped Detroit withstand that production.

The Associated Press reported that Washington last had three players score 30 points in the same game in November 1969, when the franchise played as the Baltimore Bullets. Detroit also received 21 points from Daniss Jenkins before he fouled out. Cunningham surpassed his previous career high of 46, which had also come against Washington.