Detroit Pistons superstar Cade Cunningham exited Tuesday’s game against the Washington Wizards with back spasms, and was ruled out for the remainder of the game.
Cunningham suffered the injury early in the first quarter while defending Wizards guard Tre Johnson. The Washington rookie lost control of the ball as he tried to spin away from Cunningham, and when both players dove for the ball, Johnson landed on top of Cunningham, who came up grimacing:
He remained in the game for a few minutes, but checked out with 6:40 to go in the opening quarter and headed back to the Pistons locker room. Midway through the second quarter, the Pistons announced that the two-time All-Star’s night was over. He finished with six points, two rebounds and a steal in just over five minutes of floor time.
Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons reacts after colliding with Tre Johnson of the of the Washington Wizards during the first half at Capital One Arena on March 17, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) (Patrick Smith via Getty Images)
(Patrick Smith via Getty Images)
After the game, Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said he didn’t have an update on his star point guard’s status.
Advertisement
“Not yet,” Bickerstaff said, according to Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. “I don’t have enough information.”
Cunningham, 24, is on pace for his second straight All-NBA selection, and possibly a spot on the MVP ballot, for his work in leading Detroit to the Eastern Conference’s best record. He’s averaging 24.9 points, 10.1 assists (second in the NBA behind Nikola Jokić) and 5.6 rebounds per game for the Pistons, who just welcomed back starting forward Ausar Thompson after he missed five games with a sprained right ankle, and who just lost reserve center Isaiah Stewart for at least a week to a left calf strain.
Without their No. 1 offensive option for the bulk of the game, the Pistons leaned on their other All-Star. Center Jalen Duren dominated Washington’s league-worst defense en route to a career-high 36 points on 13-for-17 shooting to go with 12 rebounds, two assists and a block in 31 minutes of work, as Detroit cruised to a 130-117 win. With the victory, the Pistons improve to 49-19 — just one away from the franchise’s first 50-win campaign since 2007-08 — and push their lead over the Boston Celtics for the No. 1 seed in the East back to four games.