Detroit — Cade Cunningham and Isaiah Stewart are used to hearing fans cheer each time their names are announced at Little Caesars Arena.
However, on Wednesday night, the crowd showed even more excitement. The Detroit Pistons’ 137-111 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks marked Cunningham’s and Stewart’s respective returns from injuries.
“Having not played for as long as it’s been for those guys to come out and get an opportunity, to get some minutes, get up and down [was good],” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “There is no way to replicate NBA basketball other than playing. It was great to have them out there and try to catch a rhythm going down the stretch.”
After recovering from a collapsed lung that forced him to miss 11 consecutive games, Cunningham played 26 minutes and seemed to pick up right where he left off prior to his collision with Washington Wizards guard Tre Johnson on March 17.
He finished with his 38th double-double of the season with 13 points, 10 assists and five rebounds, demonstrating that the All-NBA guard needed little time to shake off the rust.
His first basket came at the 8:30 mark of the first quarter when he drove downhill and made a one-handed layup over Bucks guard Ryan Rollins. On the Pistons’ next offensive possession, Cunningham received an alley-oop from Ausar Thompson, which he finished with a one-handed dunk.
His best performance came in the third quarter, where he scored seven of Detroit’s first 16 points. His play at the start of the period helped the Pistons build a 91-66 lead.
“Having the time off has definitely allowed other things to heal up that I was dealing with. You’re always dealing with something, so having time off has allowed me to get stronger and heal things up that I probably wouldn’t have had the time to do if I were continuing to play,” Cunningham said.
“I think more than anything, just having that new perspective on the team, watching the team from the couch has been good. I think that has put Stew and I in a good position moving forward.”
At the five-minute mark of the first quarter, Stewart reclaimed his role as the team’s primary backup center. Although it took him some time to get into a groove, Stewart began to find his niche early in the second quarter. His loud statement came midway through the period when he converted an up-and-under layup attempt through the Bucks’ defense.
Stewart had missed the previous 13 games due to a left calf injury that he tried to play through before being shut down on March 15. However, after a meeting with team management, Stewart and the Pistons agreed it was best for him to sit out and be healthy for the playoffs.
BOX SCORE: Pistons 137, Bucks 111
He finished with eight points in 11 minutes. Stewart did not play in the second half, but Bickerstaff confirmed this was the original plan.
While Cunningham and Stewart made a significant impact, the Pistons’ control was most pronounced in the second quarter, when they outscored the Bucks, 41-29. Duncan Robinson sparked Detroit’s dominance by going on a personal 11-0 run that started with a made 3-point field goal with 2:17 left in the first half. He finished the game with 20 points on 8 of 13 shooting with four made triples.
“When we are defending and getting stops, the way that we do, he has the ability to be a separator because of how dangerous he is from behind the 3-point line,” Bickerstaff said. “If you can bank on your defense, and he has one of those moments where the ball just finds him, that creates 9-0 runs. It all comes from his ability to separate.”
Jalen Duren led Detroit with 21 points, nine rebounds and three assists, while Thompson added 10 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals.
The Pistons’ victory brought their overall season record to 58-22. If they can win their last two games of the regular season, they will reach the 60-win mark for only the third time in franchise history. Rollins led the way for the Bucks with 23 points. Ousmane Dieng added 17 points and five rebounds.
“The intensity we understand is going to be different. But it’s one of those things where we feel like we play a Playoff brand of basketball every night. We’re a physical team. We’re a gritty team. We’re a tough team. We orchestrate well in the trenches,” Bickerstaff said.
“Those are things you have to do in the Playoffs. It’s not going to be something where we just have to completely change and be somebody we’re not because throughout the season we’ve created that type of identity.”
Observations and notes
Duren is now eligible for awards: After playing 27 minutes, Jalen Duren is now eligible for regular-season awards. He is a strong candidate for Most Improved Player of the Year and for his first All-NBA selection.
Homecourt dominance: The Pistons concluded their 2025-26 home schedule with a win. As a result, they went 31-9 at Little Caesars Arena, marking the second-best home record in the league, trailing only the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Holland shines off the bench: Despite a handful of mishaps, Ron Holland II had a solid performance off the bench, finishing with 18 points, three rebounds and a pair of steals.
coty.davis@detroitnews.com
@cotydavis_24
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: ‘Stronger’ Cunningham returns with double-double in Pistons’ victory
Reporting by Coty M. Davis, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
