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Cade Cunningham Sends Strong Message After Pistons Win vs Pacers

Cade Cunningham and the Pistons thrive one game at a time in NBA Cup play.
Justin Grasso|
Nov 29, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) shoots the ball while Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Nov 29, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) shoots the ball while Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

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With the NBA Cup around for its second season, Cade Cunningham has had a chance to play more meaningful basketball with the Detroit Pistons. It’s safe to say the team is motivated as they are off to a hot start in NBA Cup action, winning all three of their group matchups.

Friday’s win over the Indiana Pacers was by far their best yet. Not only did the Pistons control the matchup throughout the night, but they played hard until the very end as they attempted to get their point differential up since the Milwaukee Bucks have had a significant lead in that department throughout the tournament.

After the game, Pistons star Cade Cunningham sent a strong message as his teammates expressed excitement over their 130-106 win.

“That was a good one! That was a good one. One game,” the star guard told the broadcast.

Detroit veteran Malik Beasley briefly crashed Cunningham’s postgame on-court interview to confidently state the Pistons were headed to Vegas. While the Pistons are certainly on the path to getting there, they still have the Bucks attempting to stand in their way.

“One game at a time! It was a fun game. Coach got us right. We’re just executing the game plan. … We all [want to go to Vegas]. We all do, for sure. We got to keep working. One game at a time. We got Milwaukee next.”

Cunningham finished the 130-106 win over the Pacers with 24 points, 11 assists, and six rebounds in 33 minutes of action. Although he’s been battling a pelvis injury lately, the veteran looked to be in good form on Friday night. On Saturday, the Pistons will face the Philadelphia 76ers for a regular season matchup. At the top of next week, they’ll face the Bucks.

The Bucks have won all three of their NBA Cup games already. The Pistons and the Bucks will meet next Tuesday for the final East Group B matchup. The Pistons will have to take care of business in order to make their way to Vegas for the knockout rounds.

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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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