WASHINGTON, D.C. — Cade Cunningham delivered a landmark performance on Thursday night, becoming the first player in NBA history to record at least 50 points and 10 assists without committing a turnover in a game, according to OptaSTATS, since the league began tracking individual turnovers in the 1977-78 season.

Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham on court
Cade Cunningham pictured with Detroit. Photo: All-Pro Reels via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0. Image source.

The Detroit Pistons guard scored a career-high 52 points and dished out 11 assists as Detroit outlasted the Washington Wizards 144-140 in a double-overtime thriller at Capital One Arena.

Cunningham shot 16-for-25 from the field, made three of five attempts from three-point range and converted 17 of 18 free throws. He also collected five rebounds, one steal and one block while keeping his turnover column at zero.

The achievement is especially striking because it combines elite scoring volume with playmaking and complete ball security. NBA.com noted that Cunningham is also the first Pistons player to produce a 50-point, 10-assist game.

Double-overtime drama in Washington

Cade Cunningham driving with the basketball for Detroit against Indiana
Cunningham drives against T.J. McConnell in a 2024 game. Photo: Navin75 via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Image source. This is an illustrative archive photograph, not an image from Thursday’s game.

Washington repeatedly found ways to extend the contest. Trae Young’s three-pointer at the regulation buzzer forced the first overtime, and rookie AJ Dybantsa’s late midrange basket sent the game into a second extra period.

Cunningham responded with decisive scoring in the extra periods, including a three-pointer early in the second overtime. He later scored from the baseline to give Detroit a four-point cushion with 25.3 seconds remaining, helping the Pistons close out the victory.

Young finished with 37 points and 14 assists. Anthony Davis recorded 30 points and 15 rebounds, while Alex Sarr also scored 30 for Washington. The three 30-point performances were not enough to prevent the Wizards from suffering a sixth consecutive defeat.

Ausar Thompson records first career triple-double

Cunningham was not the only Detroit player to make history. Ausar Thompson registered the first triple-double of his NBA career, finishing with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. Daniss Jenkins added 21 points for the Pistons.

The result underlined Detroit’s resilience in a game that demanded composure from both teams. The Pistons had to withstand Washington’s late pushes twice, but Cunningham’s shot-making and mistake-free play proved decisive.

A rare combination of scoring and control

Fifty-point games and double-digit assist performances are individually exceptional. Combining both without a turnover is an even rarer demonstration of offensive command. Cunningham’s 52-point, 11-assist night now stands alone in the NBA’s tracked-turnover era.

For Detroit, the performance offers another reminder of Cunningham’s value as the team’s central playmaker and scorer. For the league, it adds a new entry to the record book — one built not only on scoring, but on precision and decision-making across a demanding double-overtime game.

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