DETROIT — Pistons guard Cade Cunningham had a double-double in his return to the lineup on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Cunningham, who had been sidelined since March 19 after sustaining a collapsed lung in a win over the Washington Wizards, finished with 13 points and 10 assists in 26 minutes as the Pistons won 137-111.
“I felt really good out there,” he said. “I have to thank the medical staff and the trainers, because they got me into a great place where I felt comfortable for all my minutes.”
Cunningham was averaging 24.5 points, 9.9 assists and 5.6 rebounds in 61 games this season, but the Pistons were able to go 8-3 during his absence.
“You never want to see what happened to Cade, but we couldn’t just focus on the negatives,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “No one thought they could replace Cade, but everyone decided they were going to be the best version of themselves. That’s enough for us to be successful.”
Bickerstaff said Cunningham’s playing time in Detroit’s last two games will depend on how he feels Thursday.
During his absence, he became one of the faces of the controversy over the NBA’s rule requiring players to play 65 games to be eligible for seasonal awards. He is considered a very strong candidate for All-NBA First Team honors, but he will only reach 64 games even if he plays in Detroit’s two remaining games.
“I respect what they are trying to do with the rule — fans pay a lot of money to see superstars play, not rest,” Bickerstaff said. “It puts me in a tough spot, but I know people are talking about exceptions. I’m not sure how that works, so I’m just going to finish the season and see what happens.”
The Pistons (57-22) have clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. They have also won the Central Division for the first time in 18 years and are hoping to win their first playoff series since the 2007-08 season.
Magic 132, Timberwolves 120
In Orlando, Paolo Banchero had 20 points and eight rebounds, Desmond Bane added 18 points and six assists and the Orlando Magic beat the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Franz Wagner scored 17 points and Goga Bitadze came off the bench with 14 points and 15 rebounds for the Magic, who have won four straight.
The win pulled the Magic (44-36) up to seventh place in the tight race for playoff/play-in positions. With two road games remaining (Chicago on Friday and Boston on Sunday), they could finish anywhere between six and ninth in the Eastern Conference.
Terrence Shannon Jr. led the Timberwolves with a career-high 33 points. Jaden McDaniels, back in the lineup after missing six games with a left knee injury, added 18 points in 19 minutes.
The Timberwolves, who have lost five of seven, played without Anthony Edwards (right knee injury) and four players who started Tuesday night’s win at Indiana that clinched their Western Conference playoff spot.
Julius Randle missed his first game of the season and Rudy Gobert missed his fifth.