Former Oklahoma Star Caps Impressive Night With Game-Winning Three
The Detroit Pistons won a thriller in Miami, and their All-Star delivered when it mattered most.
Oklahoma State has seen plenty of former players make their way to the professional levels. That number shrinks when restricting that to only NBA players and shrinks again when it comes to NBA All-Stars. Although OSU doesn’t have a rich history of stars in the NBA, Cade Cunningham is doing his best to create one.
After three years of developing on a tanking team and getting his early years hampered by injuries, Cunningham has shined bright this season. Along with making his first of likely many NBA All-Star teams, Cunningham has helped the Pistons get back into the playoff picture.
As Detroit becomes relevant again, the NBA has no choice but to showcase the newest era of the Pistons, with the former Cowboy at center stage. On Wednesday, the Pistons had a rare nationally televised matchup, where they faced the Miami Heat.
After trailing for much of the game, the Pistons took a late lead, and the teams traded blows over the final few minutes. Miami tied the game with a couple of Tyler Herro free throws with only five seconds left to set the stage for the signature moment of Cunningham’s young career.
CADE GAME-WINNER OFF THE GLASS 🚨😱@DetroitPistons WIN ‼️ pic.twitter.com/o9IQMRiYRK
— NBA (@NBA) March 20, 2025
Cunningham had to fight through traffic and nearly to midcourt to get the inbounds pass before taking a couple of dribbles toward the top of the key to fire a 3-pointer over the long arms of Bam Adebayo. Cunningham drilled the three off the backboard with 0.6 seconds left to give the Pistons a three-point win.
Cunningham finished with his ninth triple-double of the season, tallying 25 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. Averaging 25.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 9.3 assists this season, Cunningham has blossomed into one of the premier guards in the league and will soon get his first taste of playoff basketball.
While OSU won’t be a part of March Madness this year, Cunningham delivered a March moment on the eve of the tournament’s first day.
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Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.