Cade Cunningham put together his most complete performance of the season Wednesday night, finishing with 30 points, 10 assists, three blocks, and three steals in the Pistons’ 135-116 victory over the Orlando Magic at Little Caesars Arena. Detroit improved to 3-2 on the young season, while Orlando dropped its fourth straight after opening with a win.
The third-year guard orchestrated both ends of the floor with surgical precision, particularly in the second half when Detroit turned a competitive game into a statement win.
How Cade Cunningham Took Over
After Orlando built an early 10-point cushion, Cunningham flipped the script in the third quarter with a defensive showcase that energized the entire building.
The sequence that changed the game started with Cunningham stalking Memphis guard Desmond Bane from behind before swatting his layup attempt out of bounds. Cunningham grabbed the ball, pushed it coast-to-coast, and finished with a layup through contact. Minutes later, he denied Jalen Suggs at the rim on a poster attempt in transition. Tobias Harris corralled the rebound, and Cade Cunningham immediately found Duncan Robinson streaking ahead for an open three-pointer.
Those weren’t isolated incidents. Early in the first quarter, Cade Cunningham dove to save a loose ball from going out of bounds and somehow located Ausar Thompson for a transition dunk while falling into the stands. The play set the tone despite Detroit’s sluggish start.
But Cunningham’s defensive dominance only told half the story.
The Offensive Clinic
Once Cade Cunningham got rolling offensively in the third quarter, Orlando had no answers. He attacked Wendell Carter Jr. repeatedly in the paint, converting two consecutive three-point plays that stretched Detroit’s lead to 16 points with 2:32 remaining in the period.
The Magic managed to trim the deficit to eight by the end of the quarter, but Cunningham immediately slammed the door in the fourth. He scored seven straight points during a decisive 16-3 run that pushed the lead back to 20 with under nine minutes remaining.
His arsenal was on full display during that stretch—a smooth post hook over Suggs, a coast-to-coast layup through contact, and a half-spin move into a right-handed finish that looked effortless. By the time both benches cleared late, the outcome had long been decided.
Supporting Cast Steps Up
Cunningham didn’t do it alone. Harris added 23 points and two steals while shooting efficiently throughout the night. Jalen Duren controlled the paint with 21 points and 12 rebounds, giving Detroit the interior presence they needed against Orlando’s length.
Robinson provided a spark off the bench with 15 points on 4-of-6 shooting from deep, while Thompson stuffed the stat sheet with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists.
Paolo Banchero led Orlando with 24 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists, but the Magic struggled mightily at the free-throw line, missing 11 of 28 attempts through three quarters.
