Cade Cunningham Returns Against Ousmane Dieng’s Bucks: Winning Double-Double After Pneumothorax

Cade Cunningham made a statement on Wednesday night in Detroit. Sidelined since March 17 with a collapsed lung, the All-Star point guard of the Pistons recorded a double-double (13 points, 10 assists) in a dominant 137-111 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. A reassuring performance just days before the start of the playoffs.

Cade Cunningham is BACK after a collapsed left lung 🙏

Smooth as ever. Cunningham wastes no time finding his rhythm after missing time since March 19 while recovering from the injury 💪 pic.twitter.com/ObSXmRNHlX

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 8, 2026

A Return With No Rust

In 26 minutes split across short stints, Cunningham showed no signs of rustiness. The 24-year-old shot 6-of-11 from the field, including one three-pointer, and added 5 rebounds to his stat line. As early as the first quarter, he made his presence felt with 4 quick points, including a spectacular dunk off a lob from Ausar Thompson.

« It was different from any injury I’ve had, both in the way it initially developed from the moment I got hurt to how I felt right away and how I started feeling over time, » Cunningham told reporters after the game.

The Pistons‘ leader also took a moment to thank the medical staff: « Thank you to all the staff and medical team who surrounded me and helped me through this period. I was a little down and panicking a lot about what I was feeling. They helped me feel comfortable and helped me get through it. »

An Absence Well Managed by Detroit

During their franchise player’s 11-game absence, the Pistons held up remarkably well, going 8-3. Daniss Jenkins filled in at point guard, while Jalen Duren continued his excellent work with 21 points and 9 rebounds on Wednesday night. This collective effort allowed Detroit to hold onto first place in the Eastern Conference with a 58-22 record.

With this win, the Pistons can still reach the symbolic 60-win mark for the first time since 2005-06 if they beat Charlotte and Indiana in their final two regular-season games.

The Shadow of the 65-Game Rule

Despite his exceptional season averaging 24.5 points and 9.9 assists (2nd in the NBA behind Nikola Jokić), Cunningham will not be eligible for end-of-season individual awards. With only 62 games played, he can no longer reach the minimum threshold of 65 games introduced by the NBA since 2023-24.

His agent Jeff Schwartz lobbied the league for an exception: « Cade delivered an All-NBA First Team-worthy season. If he falls just short of an arbitrary games-played threshold due to a legitimate injury, that shouldn’t disqualify him from recognition he clearly earned over the course of the season. »