Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham had a great game on Monday, leading the team to a 107-96 win over the Houston Rockets. The Pistons came off a 125-121 loss against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday. His play against the Rockets got him a compliment from a former champion.
Cunningham added nine rebounds, seven assists, a steal and a block in the win. The star guard shot an efficient 54.5% from the field and 60% from the 3-point range. The Pistons’ player recorded his eighth 30-point game of the season.
After his game, 2016 champion Kendrick Perkins hyped him on X (formerly Twitter).
“Remember on draft night I said that Cade Cunningham was the best perimeter player prospect since LeBron James. I guess it’s TIME to revisit that conversation,” Perkins posted on X.
Remember on draft night I said that Cade Cunningham was the best perimeter player prospect since LeBron James. I guess it’s TIME to revisit that conversation.
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) January 20, 2025
The guard’s efficient performance on the field prompted the former player to compare him to Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James. In addition to his strong scoring abilities, Cunningham facilitates well and can secure rebounds due to his 6-foot-6 frame.
Detroit’s point guard has played like a star this season, which could lead him to his first All-Star appearance. Cunningham played 38 games this season, averaging 24.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 9.4 assists. In the third fan return of the All-Star voting, the former Oklahoma State star placed seventh among the Eastern Conference backcourts with 582,617 votes.
Even with that, he still has a case to be an All-Star reserve this season.
Cade Cunningham had a message to the team before the game
Before the Pistons’ game against the Rockets, they had back-to-back losses against the Indiana Pacers and the Phoenix Suns. With those losses, Cade Cunningham encouraged the team to be on the same page and try and capture a win over the second-placed team in the Western Conference.
Cunningham told the reporters that he had a conversation with the players following their victory. According to the 23-year-old, he wanted to get his teammates fired up as they faced one of the best teams in the NBA.
“I wanted everybody to be on the same page, we weren’t going to be outworked today,” Cunningham said. “Wanted everybody to get fired up a little bit. We lost two in a row, so this was a big game for us.”
Asked Cade Cunningham about his message to the team pregame and why he gave it:
“I wanted everybody to be on the same page, we weren’t going to be outworked today. … We lost two in a row, so this was a big game for us.” pic.twitter.com/uUgaUXFYuJ
— Hunter Patterson (@HuntPatterson_) January 20, 2025
Defensively, the Pistons outworked the Rockets with their 12 steals and five blocks. The team also dominated the boards with 52 rebounds to Houston’s 39.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen with Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
