Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham woke up on Thursday wanting to mess around.
The Pistons visited the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum, looking for back-to-back wins in the preseason. They were coming off an easy victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, 128-112, on Monday.
The Bucks took the first quarter, but the Pistons, led by Cunningham, returned the favor in the ensuing period to take a 12-point lead at halftime, 72-60.
The do-it-all guard went berserk in the first half. He tallied 26 points, six rebounds, six assists, and two steals in just 19 minutes. He shot 8-of-14 from the field and 8-of-8 from the charity stripe.
Cade Cunningham in the 1st half of Pistons-Bucks preseason:
26 points 8-of-14 FG
6 rebounds 8-of-8 FT
6 assists
2 steals
19 minutesAlready in mid-season form 🚘 pic.twitter.com/YsNQa89N4W
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 10, 2025
He merely toyed with the Grizzlies' defense, displaying his well-rounded offensive game. When he entered the NBA as the top overall pick in 2021, there were concerns about his efficiency as a scorer. But over the past few years, he has improved on it, earning him his first-ever nod to the All-Star Game last season.
It's scary to think that he's only 24 years old.
The Pistons will continue to rely on Cunningham in the upcoming campaign, as they look to build on their surprising run last year, which broke the team's long drought in the playoffs.
Detroit didn't make splashy moves in the offseason, opting to stick with its young core of Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Jaden Ivey, and Ausar Thompson.
As of writing, the game is tied at 89-89 at the end of the third quarter.
Milwaukee won its first assignment in the preseason after beating the Miami Heat, 103-93, on Monday.
