Cade Cunningham was the star of the show in the Detroit Pistons’ 148-143 shootout win over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday night. The point guard notched up 38 points as the Pistons extended their winning streak to a season-high six games.
After dropping jaws in awe at his performance, Cunningham also made fans burst into laughter when he shared a hilarious moment with Malik Beasley, who was another pivotal piece of the victory.
Cade Cunningham’s Hilarious Message to Malik Beasley
The Pistons arguably put up one of their best performances of the season against the Hawks, shooting a season-high 59.1% from the field. They also matched their season-best 20 3-pointers, seven of which were scored by Cunningham alone.
Cunningham was speaking during a post-game interview when Beasley, who scored 24 points, appeared to shake his hand. However, the 23-year-old reminded Beasley of something he had said to him earlier:
“Don’t touch me, I’m sizzling.”
"DON'T TOUCH ME, I'M SIZZLING"
This Cade and Beasley moment after the @DetroitPistons won their 6th straight 😂 pic.twitter.com/Jn6sNpCOUE
— NBA (@NBA) February 24, 2025
Cunningham was indeed sizzling, especially during the first half of the game when he scored a double-double for the first time in his career, totaling 29 points, 10 assists, and five rebounds, to go along with six made threes in the half. Cunningham finished the game with 38, 12, and seven, respectively.
Yet, he himself was surprised about his performance.
“Didn’t realize I had those numbers until I was walking into the locker room. I knew I had made a bunch of 3s, but I didn’t know how many points I had or anything. … That was crazy.”
Asked Cade Cunningham if he’s ever been in a rhythm like he was during the first half tonight.
“Didn’t realize I had those numbers until I was walking into the locker room. I knew I had made a bunch of 3s, but I didn’t know how many points I had or anything. … That was crazy.” pic.twitter.com/x5hNQJg6y3
— Hunter Patterson (@HuntPatterson_) February 24, 2025
Cunningham finished the game shooting 14 for 24 from the floor and registered his 15tn 30+ point game this season. His performance was matched by the Hawks’ Trae Young, who scored 38 points with 13 assists for his 33rd double-double. He was 10 for 24 shooting and registered his 17th 30+ point game this year.
Meanwhile, Beasley turned out to be the difference-maker for Detroit, adding 24 points with six 3-pointers in a reserve role. The game was tied at 135 at 2:35 before Dennis Schröder’s three-point play put the Pistons ahead for good, and then Beasley’s two free throws with 23 seconds remaining led to Detroit’s sixth straight win.
The win gave the Pistons a five-game lead over the Hawks, and they maintained their sixth-place standing in the Eastern Conference with a 31-26 record. Detroit will now host the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday, Feb. 24, for the first of four consecutive home games.
