Cade Cunningham Praises Pistons Teammates Following Win vs Heat

Multiple Pistons stepped up in shorthanded effort against the Heat.

Dec 16, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) dribbles as Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) defends in the second half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

During their matchup against the Miami Heat, the Detroit Pistons found themselves without a handful of their key players. Jaden Ivey and Tobias Harris were ruled out before tip-off, and Isaiah Stewart would exit early after hyperextending his knee. Despite this, the group managed to come together and pull out a victory in overtime.

The big star for the Pistons on Monday night was Cade Cunningham. He recorded his sixth triple-double of the season, finishing with a stat line of 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 18 assists (career-high).

Despite putting together a dominant outing in the OT thriller, Cunningham shined a light on his teammates during his postgame media availability. He credited the guys for stepping up and filling the gaps left by those on the sidelines.

"To come out with that win is big for us. Missing guys are huge part to our team," Cunningham said. "For everybody to step up and cover their gaps and cover each other was huge for us."

Cade Cunningham had a triple-double and a new career high in assists with 18 in the OT win over the Heat.#DetroitBasketball pic.twitter.com/RfvJCV8Rqg

— FanDuel Sports Network Detroit (@FanDuelSN_DET) December 17, 2024

In terms of the supporting cast, the primary standout was Malik Beasley. He found himself thrown into the starting lineup when Ivey was a late scratch, and was able to provide a huge lift. Beasley recorded a team-high 28 points on 50% shooting from the field and 53.8% from beyond the arc. Ausar Thompson also deserves a mention, recording 19 points while starting in place of Harris.

Detroit's win over Miami moves them to 11-16 on the year and into the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference. They've jumped ahead of the Brooklyn Nets to move into 10th place in the conference.

The Pistons continue to looking like a much different team compared to the one we saw last year. They'll look to keep their positive momentum rolling Thursday, when they take on the Utah Jazz.