Pistons 'move forward' without Cunningham, beat Wizards for 50th victory

Coty M. Davis, The Detroit News on Mar 19, 2026

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The Detroit Pistons have faced significant challenges this season, but their toughest moment began to occur early Thursday morning. Detroit's All-Star point guard Cade Cunningham had been diagnosed with a collapsed lung. The timing for Cunningham's return is uncertain, but he will be re-evaluated in two weeks.

Cunningham's status for the remainder of the season and the start of the playoffs remains uncertain. However, one thing is certain for now: the Pistons will have to stay afloat without their All-NBA guard for the time being. The Pistons began laying the groundwork to survive in their 117-95 victory over the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena.

With the victory, the Pistons completed a two-game sweep against Washington, improving their overall record to 50-19. They are now 6-2 in games played without Cunningham this season.

"It's tough. Tough for Cade to go through what he has to go through. How important he is to the team, but also, how important it is for him to be with the team — it's not easy," coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "He is a huge part of what we do from a leadership standpoint."

Bickerstaff continued, "It is our responsibility to keep pushing forward. We know he will be there rooting for us. When he starts to come around, he'll be cheering for us, while helping coach and leading. It is everybody's responsibility to keep moving forward. We just put our head down, 10 toes forward, put our head down and go to work."

Jalen Duren took the helm as the team's leading scorer, finishing with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Duncan Robinson contributed with 14 points on 4-of-9 shooting from behind the arc and five rebounds.

Bickerstaff understands that it is impossible to replace everything Cunningham brings to the team, but meeting the challenge starts with everyone on the team improving their individual play while "playing to the best of their abilities."

Bickerstaff's coaching philosophy was evident in the first 12 minutes of the game, during which the Pistons had one of their best first-quarter starts of the season. Their fast start led to Detroit taking a 25-point lead by the 11:38 mark of the second quarter. However, the Pistons were unable to maintain their momentum, allowing the Wizards to cut into Detroit's double-digit lead on several occasions.

Washington won the second period 38-25 and came within six points late in the third quarter. After a minor in-game slippage, Caris LeVert and Paul Reed were monumental in helping the Pistons regain their dominance.

LeVert's third 3-point field goal of the night took place at the 6:31 mark of the final period, which gave the Pistons a 104-89 lead. He finished with 14 points, six assists and five rebounds, while Reed added 17 points.

Tristan Vukcevic led the Wizards' mid-game rally by scoring 13 of his team-high 21 points during the second quarter. Will Riley added 15 points.

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