Cade Cunningham delivered a standout performance, scoring 40 points to lead the Detroit Pistons (24-24) past the Dallas Mavericks (26-23) with a 117-102 victory on Thursday night.
A day after being named an All-Star reserve, Cunningham matched his season high, shooting 17-of-30 from the field. He added six rebounds and four assists, finishing three points shy of his career-best 43.
Detroit ended a three-game losing streak behind contributions from Tobias Harris, who scored 17 points, and Jalen Duren, who recorded 16 points and 13 rebounds.
Kyrie Irving paced the Mavericks with 28 points, while P.J. Washington contributed 22 points and 13 rebounds. Dallas struggled offensively in the fourth quarter, managing just 17 points.
After the Mavericks trimmed the deficit to 93-91 with 10:13 remaining, Detroit responded with a decisive 10-2 run. Cunningham was on the bench during that stretch, but the Pistons maintained their composure.
Cunningham took over in the third quarter, scoring 16 points, including eight in the final 2:42 of the period. He shot 63.6% (7-of-11) in the quarter while outscoring his teammates 16-15.
The Pistons controlled the paint, finishing with a 16-6 advantage in second-chance points. Both teams were active on the offensive glass in the first half, with Dallas grabbing 41.7% of its missed shots and Detroit securing 37.5%.
Luka Doncic remained sidelined due to a calf injury that has kept him out since Christmas Day. The Slovenian superstar has historically excelled against Detroit, averaging 36.1 points per game in eight career matchups.
Isaiah Stewart missed the game while serving a one-game suspension for accumulating six flagrant-foul points.
The win brought the Pistons back to .500, while the Mavericks, who have been without Doncic for over a month, dropped a game below their own break-even mark.
