The OKC Thunder fell short against the Detroit Pistons 120-104 on Sunday. Even more shocking was that Detroit was without their best player, Cade Cunningham. Fans were surprised to see the Western Conference's top team lose to the NBA's worst team.
Detroit big man Jalen Duren led the Pistons (6-40), who were playing the second day of a back-to-back. He had a massive double-double of 22 points and 21 rebounds. Jaden Ivey also helped with 19 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Their team effort rewarded them with the win as four other players scored in double digits.
As for OKC (32-14), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had his usual 30-point performance, finishing with 31 points, five rebounds and four assists. Jalen Williams had 20 points, and Josh Giddey was the last player to score in double figures, with 12 points and nine rebounds.
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Fans were surprised to see the team lose and shared their thoughts online. Here is what the fans had to say about the top team in the West losing to the worst team.
Fans might be exaggerating. The league is filled with talented players, and there are games where bottom teams get the best of top teams. Still, it isn't the end of the season and OKC can bounce back. As for the Pistons, they can savor this moment as one of their highlights this season.
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Why didn't Cade Cunningham play against the OKC Thunder?
Both the OKC Thunder and the Pistons boast young rosters led by a highly-skilled guard. However, Cade Cunningham wasn't able to play on Sunday.
Cunningham reportedly sat with knee injury management. The guard is coming off an eight-game absence due to a knee injury. The 6-foot-6 guard returned to action in Saturday's 118-104 home loss to the Washington Wizards, finishing with 20 points, 12 assists and seven turnovers.
Cunningham, the No. 1 draft pick in 2021, has only missed nine games this season and has been healthy at the first half of the season. He only played 12 games last season, his second in the league.
Cunningham is averaging 22.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 7.4 assists. He's shooting a decent efficiency on the floor and from deep. The Pistons guard is knocking down 44.8% of his field goals and 34.0% of his shots from beyond the arc.
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