Cade Cunningham's return wasted in Detroit Pistons' 109-103 loss to Memphis Grizzlies
After missing six games with a left shin contusion, Cade Cunningham made his long-awaited return for the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday.
It was spoiled by a big night from Memphis' Desmond Bane, though, as he led all scorers with 38 points and the Grizzlies defeated the Pistons at home, 109-103. Bane shot 15-for-23 and knocked down a dagger 3-pointer with 53 seconds remaining to open a 104-98 lead the Pistons didn't have enough time to overcome.
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Jaren Jackson Jr. (Michigan State) added 27 points and 11 rebounds, helping the Grizzlies overcome Ja Morant's absence due to illness.
Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart (28) fights for the loose ball against Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) during the 1st half of the N.B.A. game at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Saturday, April 5, 2025.
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With the loss, the Pistons (43-35) remained in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, by mere percentage points over the Milwaukee Bucks, who played later Saturday. The Pistons clinched a top-six playoff seed for the first time since 2008 on Friday with a road win over the Toronto Raptors.
Despite Cunningham's return, the Pistons were still notably shorthanded. Jalen Duren was ruled out pregame with a right peroneal contusion, and Tobias Harris missed his fourth game with right heel soreness. But they were lifted by Isaiah Stewart, who came back from a two-game suspension and started in Duren's place.
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Cunningham led the Pistons with 25 points and nine rebounds. Ausar Thompson scored 18 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, dished out five assists and tallied one block and one steal, and Stewart added 16 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three blocks while knocking down two of his four attempts from 3.
It was a cold night offensively for the Pistons, who shot 38.9% overall on the second night of a back-to-back, and their third game in four days. Veteran marksmen Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. were 4-for-18 from 3 combined. Without Duren, the Pistons were crushed on the offensive glass, 17-8, and were outscored, 23-9, in second-chance points.
Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells (0) drives the ball against Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) during the 1st half of the N.B.A. game at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Saturday, April 5, 2025.
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Cunningham capped to 28 minutes in return
Cunningham eased into his return Saturday, playing just 28 minutes. He assisted on the Pistons' first basket of the night — a cutting dunk by Stewart — and got on the board himself with a 3-pointer at the 7:47 mark. He followed with a floater, before head coach J.B. Bickerstaff subbed him out midway through the quarter.
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He returned with 9:46 to play until halftime and missed his next two shot attempts and a pair of free throws, but he launched the Pistons' 21-6 run with a floater and then followed a 3-pointer from Stewart with another 3-pointer before knocking down a midrange jumper. He accounted for seven second-quarter points.
The Pistons managed Cunningham's minutes down the stretch, sitting him for the first few minutes of the fourth until the 9:28 mark, after the Grizzlies opened the period with a 9-2 run. He briefly sat midway through before checking back in with 5:21 to play, but went 1-for-5 from the floor in the final period as the Pistons' offense went cold again. As a team, they shot 35% (7-for-20) in the fourth.
Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart (28) blocks the shot of Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) during the 1st half of the N.B.A. game at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Saturday, April 5, 2025.
Stew leads defense, hits 3s
The fourth year big man's defensive impact was reflected in his opponents' stats. Jackson shot 4-for-11 in the first half (36.4%) and had two of his shot attempts swatted by Stewart. Rookie Zach Edey, despite standing 8 inches taller (at 7-foot-4) than Stewart (6-8), went 0-for-4 and was unable to get a clean shot off against Stewart's physicality.
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Stewart's activity was a big reason why the Grizzlies shot just 36.7% overall in the first half, but he also brought it offensively. He knocked down his first 3-pointer of the night midway through the second quarter, punishing Edey for leaving him wide open, and capped the Pistons' big second-quarter run with another 3-pointer with 1:03 before the half, giving them a 47-42 lead.
He led another strong Pistons in the third period, locking down the paint during a 12-2 Pistons run that closed an eight-point deficit and gave them a two-point lead before the end of the period.
Thompson continues two-way impact
In his four games entering Friday, Thompson had averaged 15 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.3 blocks and two steals. The second-year forward has been more aggressive with Cunningham out. He shined on both ends during his return.
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Thompson had six points and a block during the 21-6 second-quarter swing. Consecutive buckets in the paint initially extended it to 14-2, giving the Pistons a 40-38 lead, and followed with an athletic chasedown block on a layup attempt by GG Jackson. A couple possessions later, he nearly lost his handle but recovered it and slammed in a dunk to push the run to 18-4, and the Pistons' lead to four.
It was Thompson's sixth straight game score in double figures.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons score: Clawed by Memphis Grizzlies, 109-103
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