Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham continued his push for his first All-Star Recreation nod on Monday in Detroit’s 118-115 win over the Portland Path Blazers.
The No. 1 total choose of the 2021 NBA Draft had 32 factors on 11-of-23 capturing, together with 4-of-10 from deep, 9 assists, six rebounds and two steals because the Pistons (18-18, seventh in Jap Convention) reached .500 in January for the primary time since 2018. (h/t StatMuse)
Cunningham had threes from the identical spot on the court docket on consecutive third-quarter possessions to show a 76-72 deficit right into a 78-78 tie.
Late within the fourth of a tied recreation, 106-106, Cunningham discovered small ahead Tim Hardaway Jr. on a quick break for 3.
With beneath a minute remaining, he drew Path Blazers middle Deandre Ayton on to him following a drive to the basket, and whereas his shot bounced off the rim, Pistons middle Jalen Duren cleaned up the miss with a slam dunk for a four-point lead, 116-112.
In 32 video games this season, Cunningham is averaging a career-high 24.4 factors, 9.4 assists and 6.6 rebounds per recreation.
Per Stathead, he is one in all two gamers to common at the least 24 factors, 9 assists and 6 rebounds per recreation. The opposite is three-time MVP and Western Conference-leading All-Star Game fan vote-getter Nikola Jokic.
The NBA launched the primary replace to the ASG fan vote on Jan. 2, and Cunningham ranked sixth amongst guards, receiving 247,046 votes.
Per NBA Communications, “Followers account for 50% of the vote to resolve All-Star starters,” with NBA gamers and media members splitting the opposite 50 p.c.
It’d take Cunningham’s friends to get him into his first All-Star Recreation, scheduled for Feb. 16 on the Chase Middle. No matter how Cunningham will get there, his first half of the 2024-25 season cannot go unnoticed.
