Wizards Defenders Made Cade Cunningham Work for Wild Statline

Between all of the buzzer-beaters and late-game dramatics that November basketball has ushered into the viewing consciousness, the Washington Wizards' crushing loss to the Detroit Pistons did not go unnoticed. With a chance to break an eight-game losing streak on a rare nationally-televised appearance, the Wizards blew multiple late leads before eventually succumbing to the playoff-bound Pistons in overtime.

Multiple factors can take the blame for the Wizards' inevitable-feeling demise, with Daniss Jenkins' shot to beat regulation's final buzzer and Washington's own crunch-time shortcomings shining bright among the game's most noteworthy topics. But if the outing produced one main character, it was Cade Cunningham, the Pistons' blossoming star guard, who gave it all he had in the shorthanded win.

Cade Cunningham 46/12/11 with 5 STLS & 2 BLKS on 14/45 FG (31%) vs Wizards https://t.co/r5EPXeauFw pic.twitter.com/pPqZMPLEC3
— NBA Performances (@NBARewinds) November 11, 2025

Despite getting drafted to what was once among the gloomiest situations in the NBA, Cunningham has already gained some valuable experience as a gritty winner. He toughed out a few lean years to lead the team back to the playoffs last year, and he's got his guys off to a strong 9-2 start behind his direction at point guard.

Understanding the Assignment

Detroit Pistons Guard Cade Cunningham — Nov 10, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) celebrates in overtime against the Washington Wizards at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Cunningham is as unafraid to empty the chamber as any lead option in the game, especially when he's without several of his favorite co-stars. That'll produce some high-scoring affairs and several more games in which he hoists an ungodly amount of shots, and he gave the Wizards' defenders a little of both in their weeknight showdown. He notched 46 points, but took 45 shots to get there.

He, of course, made that three hour-long heat check worth it by locking in the 137-135 win, and as good as he looked upon getting to his favorite spots, the half-dozen Wizards who got extended run guarding the All-Star each at least made him work for his buckets. For every pristine midrange pull-up, there were a few more misses from 3-point range and directly at the hole.

Everyone Gets a Turn to Match Up

Kyshawn George was front-and-center in the Wizards' attempt to slow his progress, and he did pretty well for himself. Despite taking on 16 targets, he held Cunningham to just four makes with the strength to impede his progress and hold him to settling floaters, according to the NBA's tracking data. He held off his usual bout of foul trouble long enough to do similar damage to Cunningham's teammates, holding the squad to 9/27 shooting on his personal watch.

George's allies were no slouches themselves. Bigger bodies like Alex Sarr and Marvin Bagley III each held Cunningham to sub-50% shooting when they had to step in or found themselves dragged into matchups, while defensively-questionable guards like Corey Kispert and Bub Carrington each held their own in limited sample sizes.

Cunningham still took the day in adding to the disparity between the pair of eastern squads, but the Wizards hindered him well for a team lacking in veteran defenders.

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