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With their superstar in street clothes, the Detroit Pistons stayed afloat.
They didn't need Cade Cunningham to clinch a top-six NBA playoffs berth for the first time in 17 years on Friday, defeating the Toronto Raptors on the road. It was the final of six straight games Cunningham missed with a left calf contusion, before returning Saturday at Little Caesars Arena.
The Pistons went 4-2 without Cunningham, who scored 25 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the Pistons' 109-103 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday. The run without Cunningham included three straight home wins (against the New Orleans Pelicans, San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers) and then consecutive road losses against the Minnesota Timberwolves (in a game that saw head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and three players ejected, with the players later suspended) and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
At 43-35, with the postseason locked up, it's a result the Pistons will take.
"It’s huge," Cunningham said in the locker room after Saturday's loss. "We’ve got a 'next man up' mentality every day. To see guys plug in and do what they did like that, it means a lot to the group. It’s just a testament to their professionalism and the way they worked throughout the year and prepared themselves."
THE BIG PICTURE: Detroit Pistons revel in moment after clinching playoffs: 'It's a big deal'
Cunningham, who was restricted to 28 minutes against the Grizzlies, is back with four games left in the regular season. He suffered his left calf injury against the Dallas Mavericks on March 21, and the injury ended up costing him two weeks of play as the Pistons battled for postseason position. The focus now, he said, is staying healthy and working himself back into a rhythm before the playoffs begin on April 19.
"I got hit on my left calf," Cunningham said. "And then it made my right calf tighten up a lot. There was just a lot going on. I got sick at the same time. It was trying to battle a lot of different things. Training staff got me right, I feel great now. Feel good going into the playoffs. This was a good game for me to shake off the rust and get ready.
"It feels good," he continued. "Now I guess it’s just more focus now, knowing we’ve got a lot coming ahead. Just trying to make sure we’re all ready for it mentally and physically and that we can put our best foot forward."
The team intended to ease Cunningham into his work load in his first game back, Bickerstaff said. Cunningham shot 37.5% (9-for-24) in his return.
"That was the goal, around that number (of games)," Bickerstaff said. "Obviously we didn’t want to overexert him. We wanted to give him a chance to get his legs under him and catch his rhythm and I thought he did a good job."
The Pistons have three home games remaining, with the Sacramento Kings visiting LCA on Monday, the New York Knicks on Thursday and the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday before concluding the season in Milwaukee next Sunday. In addition to Cunningham, they've dealt with a run of injuries and absences down the stretch. Ron Holland and Marcus Sasser returned from their suspensions on Friday, and Isaiah Stewart returned from his suspension Saturday.
Jalen Duren was a late scratch on Saturday, though, with right peroneal contusion, and Tobias Harris had his fourth absence in five games with right heel soreness.
Still, the Pistons will focus on healing, and closing the season out on a strong note with the playoffs just two weeks away. Saturday's loss dropped the Pistons into sixth place in the East, half a game behind the fifth-place Milwaukee Bucks (43-34) and 3½ back of the fourth-place Indiana Pacers. If the Pistons don't catch the Bucks or Pacers, they'll likely face the third-seeded New York Knicks in the first round.
"Obviously for a lot of us here, including me, it's my first time in the playoffs," Stewart said. "Knowing we're going to be playing in the postseason is a special feeling, and one I won't take for granted."
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Stay tuned all year long at freep.com/sports/pistons.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons locked in on playoffs with Cunningham back from injury
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They didn't need Cade Cunningham to clinch a top-six NBA playoffs berth for the first time in 17 years on Friday, defeating the Toronto Raptors on the road. It was the final of six straight games Cunningham missed with a left calf contusion, before returning Saturday at Little Caesars Arena.
The Pistons went 4-2 without Cunningham, who scored 25 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the Pistons' 109-103 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday. The run without Cunningham included three straight home wins (against the New Orleans Pelicans, San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers) and then consecutive road losses against the Minnesota Timberwolves (in a game that saw head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and three players ejected, with the players later suspended) and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
At 43-35, with the postseason locked up, it's a result the Pistons will take.
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"It’s huge," Cunningham said in the locker room after Saturday's loss. "We’ve got a 'next man up' mentality every day. To see guys plug in and do what they did like that, it means a lot to the group. It’s just a testament to their professionalism and the way they worked throughout the year and prepared themselves."
THE BIG PICTURE: Detroit Pistons revel in moment after clinching playoffs: 'It's a big deal'
Cunningham, who was restricted to 28 minutes against the Grizzlies, is back with four games left in the regular season. He suffered his left calf injury against the Dallas Mavericks on March 21, and the injury ended up costing him two weeks of play as the Pistons battled for postseason position. The focus now, he said, is staying healthy and working himself back into a rhythm before the playoffs begin on April 19.
"I got hit on my left calf," Cunningham said. "And then it made my right calf tighten up a lot. There was just a lot going on. I got sick at the same time. It was trying to battle a lot of different things. Training staff got me right, I feel great now. Feel good going into the playoffs. This was a good game for me to shake off the rust and get ready.
"It feels good," he continued. "Now I guess it’s just more focus now, knowing we’ve got a lot coming ahead. Just trying to make sure we’re all ready for it mentally and physically and that we can put our best foot forward."
The team intended to ease Cunningham into his work load in his first game back, Bickerstaff said. Cunningham shot 37.5% (9-for-24) in his return.
You must be registered for see images
"That was the goal, around that number (of games)," Bickerstaff said. "Obviously we didn’t want to overexert him. We wanted to give him a chance to get his legs under him and catch his rhythm and I thought he did a good job."
The Pistons have three home games remaining, with the Sacramento Kings visiting LCA on Monday, the New York Knicks on Thursday and the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday before concluding the season in Milwaukee next Sunday. In addition to Cunningham, they've dealt with a run of injuries and absences down the stretch. Ron Holland and Marcus Sasser returned from their suspensions on Friday, and Isaiah Stewart returned from his suspension Saturday.
Jalen Duren was a late scratch on Saturday, though, with right peroneal contusion, and Tobias Harris had his fourth absence in five games with right heel soreness.
Still, the Pistons will focus on healing, and closing the season out on a strong note with the playoffs just two weeks away. Saturday's loss dropped the Pistons into sixth place in the East, half a game behind the fifth-place Milwaukee Bucks (43-34) and 3½ back of the fourth-place Indiana Pacers. If the Pistons don't catch the Bucks or Pacers, they'll likely face the third-seeded New York Knicks in the first round.
"Obviously for a lot of us here, including me, it's my first time in the playoffs," Stewart said. "Knowing we're going to be playing in the postseason is a special feeling, and one I won't take for granted."
Make "The Pistons Pulse" your go-to Detroit Pistons podcast, listen available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify).
Stay tuned all year long at freep.com/sports/pistons.
Follow the Detroit Free Press on Instagram (@detroitfreepress), TikTok (@detroitfreepress), YouTube (@DetroitFreePress), X (@freep), and LinkedIn, and like us on Facebook (@detroitfreepress).
Stay connected and stay informed. Become a Detroit Free Press subscriber.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons locked in on playoffs with Cunningham back from injury
Continue reading...
