Cade Cunningham poured in a season-high 40 points to go along with nine assists to offset Anthony Edwards’ career-high 53 points as the host Detroit Pistons defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 119-105 on Saturday.
Edwards had been limited to 20 points or less in eight of his previous 14 games. His previous career high was 51 points, a mark he reached against the Washington Wizards on April 9, 2024.
Cunningham’s previous season high was 35 points.
Malik Beasley supplied 23 points as Detroit won its third straight game. Tobias Harris had 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Ausar Thompson added 10 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high six steals.
Julius Randle had 17 points, seven rebounds and six assists for the Timberwolves.
Cunningham had 11 points and three assists in the first quarter as Detroit grabbed a 33-28 lead. Beasley’s 3-pointer soon gave Detroit a double-digit advantage at 38-28. That was part of a 13-0 Pistons run to start the second quarter. Cunningham had six points and Thompson contributed two steals and two dunks during that span. Edwards halted it with a 3-pointer.
Cunningham fired in a 3-pointer to reach the 20-point mark and give the Pistons a 52-35 lead with 2:20 to go in the second quarter. Edwards, who had 26 points before the break, scored the Timberwolves’ last 10 of the first half and had Minnesota’s deficit at 12, 55-43, at intermission.
Following an Edwards three-point play to open the second half, Detroit reeled off a 14-2 run to make it 69-48.
Edwards remained the main source of offense for the Timberwolves. He had another three-point play and tossed in a couple 3-pointers to cut Detroit’s advantage to 72-57 with 6:56 remaining in the third quarter.
The Pistons led by 24 late in the frame after an Isaiah Stewart basket, but the Timberwolves closed the quarter on a 9-2 run to pull within 15, 96-81.
The Timberwolves scored the first four points of the fourth, but Cunningham answered with a 3-pointer. Edwards tied his career high with a 3-pointer with 9:25 remaining.
Edwards finally surpassed his career high on a layup with 22.5 seconds left.
–Field Level Media
