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Why Pistons Star Cade Cunningham Couldn’t Finish Tuesday Night’s Game

Cade Cunningham will not return to tonight's matchup vs Wizards.
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Mar 17, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) takes a shot before a game against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
Mar 17, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) takes a shot before a game against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

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Detroit Pistons

The Detroit Pistons traveled to Capital One Arena to face the Washington Wizards, but the Pistons were hit with an unfortunate blow when star guard Cade Cunningham exited with an injury. 

What Happened?

During the early minutes of Tuesday night's game, Cunningham exited with back spasms. The injury occurred in the first quarter when Cunningham dove for a loose ball while battling against Tre Johnson. Before the injury, Cunningham had contributed six points in five minutes.

He was later ruled out for the remainder of tonight’s matchup with back spasms, according to Omari Sankofa.

Impact on the Pistons

Even a brief absence from Cunningham is significant. The 24-year-old has been the motor behind Detroit’s first seed placement in the Eastern Conference, playing at a high MVP level all season.

The Pistons have been one of the pleasant surprises of this NBA season, currently the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Cunningham has continued to blossom on one of the top teams in the league. He was an NBA All-Star starter and his impact on the Pistons is significant. Without Cunningham, there's no telling where this team would be.

He's been available, playing in 60 games so far this season. They'll hope that he's able to return soon. He's averaging a tick under 25 points per game, five rebounds and 10 assists. Cunningham's 46 percent shooting makes him one of the most efficient scorers in the league this season.

Thankfully, back spasms aren't always too serious. However, there's been no immediate update on Cunningham's severity. After all, it was a game against the lowly Wizards, so perhaps the Pistons and Cunningham just decided to use an abundance of caution.

In a worst case scenario, the Pistons still have over 10 games remaining on their schedule. They have a comfortable 3.5 game lead in the Eastern Conference. While the Boston Celtics are hot and looking to claim the No. 1 seed with Jayson Tatum, the Pistons could probably play it safe with Cunningham. After all, he's their most important player and will be pivotal to a postseason push.

Without him, the Pistons will need to turn to their depth.

Outlook

There hasn’t been anything said about when he will return. At this stage, Cunningham’s injury appears to be minor but definitely worth paying attention to.

For now, the priority is to ensure that Detroit’s star guard can get back healthy.

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Summer Weathers
SUMMER WEATHERS

Summer Weathers covers the Detroit Pistons for Detroit Pistons On SI. A graduate of Oakland University, she worked at The Oakland Post while completing a degree in Journalism and Broadcast Media Studies. She is guided by her faith in Christ in all that she does. When she’s not writing or reporting on sports, she’s covering fashion.

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