Scheduled
New York Knicks at Indiana Pacers
2026-27 · Regular season · Emirates NBA Cup
Interactive: 52 points, 11 assists, zero turnovers — Cade Cunningham’s double-overtime night in Washington, step by step
Cade Cunningham scored 22 through three quarters and 30 more in the fourth and two overtimes as the Pistons beat the Wizards 144-140. The two buzzer shots, the 46-on-45-shots comparison, the franchise list and the first 50-10-0 line since 1977-78.
In this article
Cade Cunningham (2) and Ausar Thompson (9) during the Pistons’ 144-140 double-overtime win in Washington, Nov. 12, 2026. Photo by Detroit Pistons, resized.Interactive · Detroit Pistons
52 points, 11 assists, zero turnovers: Cade Cunningham’s double-overtime night in Washington, step by step
Twenty-two points through three quarters, 30 more in the fourth and two overtimes, two Wizards buzzer shots that would not let the game end, and a stat line no one had put up since turnovers were first counted in 1977-78.
The Pistons’ graphic for Cunningham’s 52-point career high, tied for fourth in franchise history. Photo by Detroit Pistons, resized.Chapter 1
The line
The Pistons beat the Wizards 144-140 in double overtime on Thursday night in Washington. Cade Cunningham played 48 minutes, scored a career-high 52 points and had 11 assists. He did not commit a turnover.
No player had finished a game with at least 50 points, 10 assists and no turnovers since the league started tracking individual turnovers in 1977-78.
0points, a career high
0assists
0turnovers in 48 minutes
0%shooting, 16 of 25
How the 52 points came
“It was the best I’ve ever done it in my NBA career for sure.”— Cade Cunningham
The Pistons’ first-quarter graphic: Detroit 33, Washington 32. Photo by Detroit Pistons, resized.Chapter 2
Twenty-two through three
For three quarters it was a normal Cunningham night. He had 7 points in the first quarter, 8 in the second and 7 in the third, while Daniss Jenkins carried more of the scoring early with 16 by halftime.
Washington led 32-22 late in the first quarter. Detroit closed it with 11 straight points and led 33-32, then 64-61 at the half and 94-90 after three.
Cunningham’s points by period
0points after three quarters
0in the fourth and two overtimes
0lead changes in the game
The 30 points in the fourth quarter and overtime are the most by a Pistons player in those periods since play-by-play records began in 1997-98.
The Pistons’ graphic at the end of regulation: 121-121. Photo by Detroit Pistons, resized.Chapter 3
The first buzzer
Cunningham scored 18 in the fourth quarter. With 26.4 seconds left, after Kyshawn George’s 30-foot three had put Washington up 118-117, he made two free throws for a 119-118 lead.
On the next possession he blocked Trae Young’s pull-up jumper and the Wizards ran out the shot clock. Fouled with 1.8 seconds left, he made two more free throws. Young then hit from 29 feet as the horn sounded.
- Ausar Thompson makes one of two free throws. Detroit 117, Washington 115.
- Kyshawn George, 30-foot three. Washington 118-117.
- Cunningham, two free throws. Detroit 119-118. A Washington challenge fails.
- Cunningham blocks Young. Washington runs out of shot clock.
- Cunningham, two free throws. Detroit 121-118.
- Young, 29-foot three. 121-121. Overtime.
“We didn’t pay attention to the details.”— J.B. Bickerstaff, on Young’s tying three
The Pistons’ graphic after three quarters: Detroit 94, Washington 90. Photo by Detroit Pistons, resized.Chapter 4
Down seven in overtime
Washington scored the first seven points of the first overtime: a George three, an Anthony Davis floater and an alley-oop dunk by Alex Sarr. With 3:20 left the Wizards led 128-121.
Cunningham answered with a 14-foot pull-up, two free throws and, with 33.1 seconds left, a 26-foot running three that tied it at 130. Duncan Robinson’s jumper off his pass put Detroit up 132-130. Rookie AJ Dybantsa tied it again with a pull-up in the final seconds.
- George three. Washington 124-121.
- Sarr alley-oop. Washington 128-121.
- Cunningham pull-up. 128-123.
- Cunningham, two free throws. 128-125.
- Cunningham, 26-foot three. 130-130.
- Robinson jumper, Cunningham assist. Detroit 132-130.
- Dybantsa pull-up. 132-132. Second overtime.
0straight Washington points to open overtime
0Cunningham points in the first overtime
Cade Cunningham, the first player with 50 points, 10 assists and no turnovers in a game since turnovers were first tracked in 1977-78. Photo by Detroit Pistons, resized.Chapter 5
The second overtime
Cunningham opened the second overtime with a 24-foot three for a 135-132 lead. On the next Washington possession Davis was called for a loose-ball foul, his sixth, and went to the bench with 30 points and 15 rebounds.
Washington kept coming. Bilal Coulibaly’s dunk cut it to 140-138 with 1:14 left. Cunningham then made a 12-foot fadeaway from the baseline with 25.3 seconds left, and Kevin Huerter closed it with two free throws.
- Cunningham three. Detroit 135-132.
- Davis fouls out.
- Robinson dunk from Thompson. 139-134.
- Coulibaly dunk. 140-138.
- Cunningham fadeaway. 142-138.
- Huerter, two free throws. 144-140, final.
“He led us through the fourth quarter and overtimes. He did what he does. One person can’t just guard him.”— Ausar Thompson
Cade Cunningham arrives at Capital One Arena before the game, Nov. 12, 2026. Photo by Detroit Pistons, resized.Chapter 6
Forty-six on 45 shots, 52 on 25
His previous career high also came against Washington. On Nov. 10, 2025, in Detroit, Cunningham scored 46 in a 137-135 overtime win, but he needed 45 shots and made 14. His 31 misses were the most in a game since the 1976 merger.
Thursday’s 52 came on 25 shots.
Field-goal attempts
Field goals made
0%shooting in the 46-point game
0%shooting in the 52-point game
The Pistons’ halftime graphic: Detroit 64, Washington 61. Photo by Detroit Pistons, resized.Chapter 7
Where it ranks
The 52 points tie George Yardley’s 1958 total for the fourth-highest in Pistons history. Cunningham is the third Pistons player with a 50-point double-double, after Yardley, who did it twice in 1957-58, and Blake Griffin in 2018-19.
Most points in a game, Pistons history
He is also the fifth player since 1977-78 with a 50-point double-double and no turnovers. The others are Michael Jordan, who did it twice, Moses Malone, Carmelo Anthony and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“The efficiency of it, taking care of the ball, sharing the ball. The ball is in his hands so much versus so many different covers and actions against him, but I thought he just made the right play over and over again.”— J.B. Bickerstaff
Ausar Thompson (9), who had 17 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for his first career triple-double. Photo by Detroit Pistons, resized.Chapter 8
The rest of the night
Ausar Thompson had 17 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, the first triple-double of his career. Jenkins scored 21 before fouling out, and Paul Reed added 13 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.
Washington had three 30-point scorers for the first time since Nov. 18, 1969, when the franchise was the Baltimore Bullets. Young scored 37 on 8-of-23 shooting with 14 assists. Davis and Sarr had 30 each. Sarr made his first 10 shots and finished 12 of 14. The Wizards have lost six straight and are 4-9.
The game’s 30-point scorers
“It was bad. It was terrible. We were not up to our standard defensively. Everything was bad.”— J.B. Bickerstaff, after his team allowed 140
Detroit is 8-3 and 5-1 on the road. Cunningham’s season average went from 22.3 points to 25.0 in one night, and he has not committed a turnover in either of his two games against Washington this week.
0-3Pistons’ record
0Cunningham’s points per game, 11 games
0assists per game
- Detroit 122, Washington 111. Cunningham 17 points, 7 assists, no turnovers.
- Detroit 144, Washington 140 (2OT). 52 points, 11 assists, no turnovers.
- At Miami.
Fifty-two points, eleven assists, no turnovers. Washington twice tied the game in the final seconds, and both times Cunningham had the next answer. His coach still called the defense terrible, and the Pistons have Miami on Saturday.
Join the discussion
0 commentsTalk basketball. Keep it respectful. You can use a name or stay Anonymous. Comments publish immediately.
Be the first to start the conversation.