03/19/26 10:20:00
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03/19 10:18 CDT Pistons guard Cade Cunningham has collapsed lung, will be
evaluated in 2 weeks
Pistons guard Cade Cunningham has collapsed lung, will be evaluated in 2 weeks
By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Basketball Writer
All-Star guard Cade Cunningham of the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit
Pistons has a collapsed left lung and will miss at least two weeks and possibly
more, the team announced Thursday.
The exact timeline for a return to play is still unknown. The Pistons said
Cunningham would be re-evaluated at the two-week mark.
Cunningham is averaging 24.5 points and 9.9 assists for the Pistons, stellar
numbers for a club that is on pace for its best season in nearly two decades.
Only eight players in NBA history have finished a season averaging that many
points and assists, and Cunningham would be the first to do so in a Detroit
uniform.
The regular season ends in less than four weeks. The Pistons --- who had listed
Cunningham as out for Thursday's game in Washington with a left back contusion
and said Thursday that further testing revealed the lung issue --- won't start
their playoff run until April 18 or 19, when the East quarterfinals begin.
Cunningham got hurt in Tuesday's win over Washington, leaving midway through
the opening quarter with what the team called back spasms. He dove for a loose
ball and collided into Wizards guard Tre Johnson with 7:44 left in the first,
then seemed to be laboring until he checked out 1:04 later.
Detroit entered Thursday 49-19, 3 1/2 games ahead of Boston for the top spot in
the East with 14 games remaining. Cunningham has played in 61 games this
season, so an extended absence could also mean he doesn't reach the 65-game
threshold for eligibility for awards like the All-NBA team.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
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