Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons came up short in their comeback bid against the Utah Jazz after rallying twice from double-digit leads.
The Jazz must have been wondering what it takes to put this young team away, as the Pistons came back from a 22-point deficit in their last meeting to get the win. Ultimately, the Jazz figured it out and were able to hold on, despite the efforts of rookie Cade Cunningham.
Cunningham made headlines when he declared himself the best rookie in his class, and he backed it up last night, scoring 25 points to go with six rebounds and five assists while only committing two turnovers.
Turnovers have been a problem in his young career, but Cunningham has cut them down of late, averaging just two per game over his last five, down from his 3.6 per game average on the season.
He also managed to make team history and is starting to set himself apart in the Rookie of the Year race that currently seems to be a two-man fight between him and Evan Mobley.
Cade Cunningham puts himself in Pistons’ record books
After scoring at least 25 points with five rebounds and five assists, Cade Cunningham put himself in some elite company:
Cade Cunningham has recorded his 4th game with 25+ pts, 5+ rebs and 5+ asts, tying Isiah Thomas and Grant Hill for the most such games in team history through 36 career contests. He is the only rookie in the NBA this season with multiple 25/5/5 games. #Pistons
— Pistons PR (@Pistons_PR) January 22, 2022
(via @EliasSports)
Anytime you are joining Grant Hill and Isiah Thomas, two of the greatest Pistons’ rookies of all-time, you know you’ve done something right.
Cunningham has often been compared to Grant Hill for his all-around game, high basketball I.Q. and ability to score from all three levels, though Cade is a much higher volume 3-point shooter.
He got most of his points from inside the arc last night, shooting just four 3-pointers on his way to 25 points, though he inexplicably did not get a shot down the stretch as the Pistons were trying to hang on.
The Pistons were ultimately undone at the free throw line, shooting just 16 freebies to Utah’s 34, something that has been a problem of late as Detroit can’t seem to get a whistle to go their way.
I’m sure Cade Cunningham would trade his personal stats for a team win, but it’s nice to see the rookie playing more consistently, growing every game and figuring out how to get it down without launching so many 3-pointers.