Cade Cunningham Makes Detroit Pistons History in OT Win vs Miami Heat

Detroit Pistons guard shined in overtime win over the Miami Heat.

Dec 16, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) is defended by Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) in the first half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

After finishing with the league's worst record this season, the Detroit Pistons have started to turn heads this year. Among the major catalysts in their early success has been the stellar play of their top young player.

Coming off his best season in the pros, many people viewed Cade Cunningham as a possible breakout candidate in 2025. The former No. 1 pick had a fully healthy offseason, and made the most of the opportunity. Just past the quarter mark of the season, Cunningham has played like one of the game's top young stars.

On Monday night, Cunningham put together his latest dominant outing of the year. In a one-point overtime victory over the Miami Heat, he recorded a stat line of 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 18 assists. Not only is this his sixth triple-double of the season, but he has once again reached a new career-high in assists.

With his performance against Miami, Cunningham has etched his name into the franchise history books. No Pistons player before has ever put up the numbers he had on Monday night.

Cade Cunningham tonight:

20 PTS
11 REB
18 AST (career-high)

First player in franchise history with those numbers in a single game. pic.twitter.com/Qe9QVyt6m8

— StatMuse (@statmuse) December 17, 2024

With each passing performance, Cunningham's case to be named an All-Star slowly gets strong. Especially with the Pistons slowly climbing the Eastern Conference standings, now moving into 10th place. As one of the league's top playmakers and leaders in triple-doubles, Cunningham is more than deserving of a nod.

In the modern NBA, successful teams are built around a do-it-all perimeter player who can be the focal point of the offense. As he continues to put his talents on full display, Cunningham is proving he's capable of being such a player for the Pistons for the foreseeable future.