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Cade Cunningham’s Official Playing Status for Pistons-Thunder

Will Cade Cunningham miss another matchup for the Pistons?
Mar 19, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) reacts after scoring against the Miami Heat during the fourth quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Mar 19, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) reacts after scoring against the Miami Heat during the fourth quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

After a much-needed break, the Detroit Pistons will be back on the court on Wednesday night to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder. The status of the veteran guard Cade Cunningham was in question once again.

When the Piston submitted their injury report on Tuesday night, Cunningham was revealed to have a slim chance of playing from the jump. According to the official NBA injury report, the one-time All-Star was doubtful.

As expected, Cunningham won’t be making his anticipated return to the floor in Oklahoma City. As the guard deals with a calf contusion, he is set to miss his fifth game in a row.

Last week, the Pistons announced that Cunningham injured his calf during the March 21 loss against the Dallas Mavericks. Cunningham checked in for 38 minutes, shooting 50 percent from the field and going 2-5 from beyond the arc to score 35 points. He also had seven rebounds and six assists.

The Pistons confirmed that an MRI took place and the team decided to put Cunningham on a day-to-day timeline. There hasn’t been a target date for his return in place.

In the absence of Cunningham, the Pistons have found success in all but one of their last four games. While Detroit could certainly use the boost in OKC against a Thunder team that has won 10 in a row, the Pistons need to focus on keeping Cunningham as healthy and as rested as possible for the playoffs.

This season, Cunningham has averaged 26 points, nine assists, and six rebounds. The Pistons are 37-29 when the All-Star is on the court this year.

A win on Wednesday could be one of two steps to help the Pistons officially secure a top-six spot in the playoffs. The Pistons and the Thunder tip at 9:30 PM ET.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia

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