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Cade Cunningham's Buzzer Beater Has Fans Asking for More Pistons Games on National TV
The Detroit Pistons only got scheduled to play one nationally televised game on ESPN this season, and they made the most of that appearance on Wednesday. The Pistons, who have a total of just four nationally televised games on the season—with the other three on NBA TV—faced the Miami Heat in a game that wound up concluding in thrilling fashion.
The Pistons led 113-111 before the Heat tied the game on two free throws from Tyler Herro with five seconds remaining in regulation. In the waning seconds, budding superstar Cade Cunningham nailed the game-winning basket from the top of the key over Heat center Bam Adebayo, leaving just 0.6 seconds left on the clock.
The exciting end not only brought attention to the Pistons on a national stage, but had fans calling for the franchise to be featured more nationally.
GIVE US MORE NATIONAL TV GAMES ALREADY COME ON
— Mob (@MobHoops) March 20, 2025
CADE CUNNINGHAM IS A TOP 10 PLAYER IN THE LEAGUE
— Hoodie Cam (@camhashoes) March 20, 2025
GIVE THE DETROIT PISTONS MORE NATIONAL TV GAMES pic.twitter.com/hBf7MxnZhH
CADE CUNNINGHAM ON NATIONAL TV
— PistonsThoughts (@PistonsThoughts) March 20, 2025
25 POINTS
12 REBOUNDS
11 ASSISTS
1 GAME WINNING 3
HE’S HIM pic.twitter.com/OYZMAbVKtN
We need more Detroit games on national TV.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) March 20, 2025
Time to put more of a spotlight on Cade Cunningham.
The Detroit Pistons are without fail the best story of this NBA season… They are awesome & need to absolutely be on national tv more
— Josh Reynolds (@JoshReynolds24) March 20, 2025
Cade Cunningham is FOR REAL, for real
Suck it, @SHAQ
pic.twitter.com/a3LnGmPGue
Even the Pistons social media team echoed the same message.
PUT US ON NATIONAL TV MORE‼️
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) March 20, 2025
For each of the last four seasons, the Pistons have finished either last or second-last in the Eastern Conference, leading to a lack of nationally televised games compared to other teams.
This season, they rank sixth in the Eastern Conference with a strong chance to return to the postseason for the first time since 2019. The Pistons have become relevant again, and with a rising star in Cunningham, they have made an emphatic case to become a nationally featured team in the NBA.
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Eva Geitheim is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in December 2024, she wrote for Newsweek, Gymnastics Now and Dodgers Nation. A Bay Area native, she has a bachelor's in communications from UCLA. When not writing, she can be found baking or re-watching Gilmore Girls.