Detroit Pistons superstar Cade Cunningham took charge in the final three minutes of the fourth quarter to beat the Atlanta Hawks 99-98 on Monday night.
The Hawks had a chance to win with 0.1 seconds left, but the time expired when Jalen Johnson converted a tip-in.
Pistons center Jalen Duren contributed 21 points and 11 rebounds, who also won for the 15th time in 17 games, while Caris LeVert added 14 points and made two key defensive plays to help them secure the win.
Meanwhile, Atlanta forward Johnson dropped 29 points and 13 rebounds, which had won four of five, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 26 points, and Onyeka Okongwu added 20.
Tight clash between these two Eastern teams, where neither of them led by more than five points until LeVert made it 74-68 with the last basket of the third quarter.
Detroit played better, outrebounding Atlanta with more offensive rebounds, which led to a 22-turnover advantage for the Pistons in the first three quarters.
During the last quarter, Alexander-Walker hit a tying three-pointer at 82 with 7:06 to play, but Cunningham answered back with a short jumper to lift the Pistons 91-89 with 3:21 to go.
LeVert forced turnovers on the next two Atlanta possessions, where he also turned the first one into a layup, and Cunningham with two free throws on the second.
However, with the Pistons a six-point lead, 95-89, Alexander-Walker hit back-to-back 3s to tie the game with 1:12 left.
Pistons floor general answered back with a jumper that made it 97-95, while Alexander-Walker missed at the other end.
Cunningham sealed the game with a reverse layup in traffic with 17 seconds to play, although Alexander-Walker made another three-pointer to make it 99-98 with 1.2 seconds left.
Detroit aims to maintain its top spot in the East when it faces the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, while the Hawks look forward to bouncing back against the Clippers.
