Cade Cunningham, Isaiah Stewart return for Pistons' blowout win vs Bucks

Cade Cunningham and Isaiah Stewart returned from lengthy absences to help the Detroit Pistons finish the home portion of their schedule with a dominant victory.

The Pistons defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in their finale at Little Caesars Arena, 137-111, to improve to 58-22 overall. Cunningham (left lung pneumothorax) and Stewart (left calf strain) returned from 11 and 13 game absences, respectively.

For Cunningham, it was his first time taking the floor since suffering a collapsed left lung in the first quarter against the Washington Wizards on March 17. In close to 26 minutes of action, the superstar guard finished with 13 points (6-for-11 overall), 10 assists, five rebounds, a steal and a block. Stewart, who didn't appear in the second half, finished with eight points and a rebound in 10 minutes and 37 seconds.

WINDSOR'S TAKE: Cade Cunningham looks as smooth and in command as ever in injury return

The Pistons were led by Jalen Duren (21 points, nine rebounds, 8-for-9 overall shooting) and Duncan Robinson (20 points, 8-for-13 overall). Ron Holland (18 points, 3-for-4 from 3), Ausar Thompson (10 points, four assists, two steals, two blocks), Tobias Harris (10 points, five rebounds) and Paul Reed (10 points) also reached double-figures.

The Bucks were shorthanded and without Giannis Antetokounmpo (left knee hyperextension), Flint native Kyle Kuzma (right Achilles tendinopathy), Bobby Portis (left wrist sprain), Myles Turner (left hip sprain) and Kevin Porter Jr. (right knee synovitis). The Pistons were without Kevin Huerter (illness).

The Pistons pulled away with a 22-8 run to close the first half and build a blowout margin, 75-57. Robinson scored 11-straight points during the run – knocking down a pair of 3-pointers before coming up with a steal and dunk, and then hitting yet another 3-pointer with 1:01 remaining on the clock to extend their lead to 18.

It was a hot night for the Pistons, who shot 59.6% overall and knocked down seven of 13 3-pointers (53.8%) in the first half. They closed the third quarter with a 10-0 run to take their biggest lead of the night up until that point, 112-86, and stayed hot by shooting 11-for-19 overall and 5-for-8 from 3.

Cunningham, Stewart return from injury

Coach J.B. Bickerstaff wouldn’t confirm or deny Cunningham’s return before the game, but it was clear he would play once he went through his pregame warmup with assistant coach Jarrett Jack roughly 50 minutes before tip-off.

Cunningham received a warm ovation when he was announced as a starter and got going immediately, assisting their first two buckets before making his first bucket, a layup, at the 8:39 mark. The following possession, he finished an alley-oop from Thompson for a fastbreak dunk. Cunningham was the first to check out, with Jenkins coming in for him with 7:20 on the clock.

Stewart checked in with five minutes remaining in the opening period. He looked energized after a month-long layoff, setting hard screens and boxouts all night. Like Cunningham, it also didn’t take long for him to get going. He scored eight points in nearly 11 first-half minutes on 3-for-3 shooting. Stewart didn’t appear in the third quarter; Paul Reed checked in for Duren with 2:50 to play.

Cunningham settled into a rhythm in the second half, scoring seven points during the Pistons’ 16-9 run to open the third quarter. After playing 13 minutes in the first half, he played nine minutes during the third and also opened the fourth quarter alongside Daniss Jenkins – a pairing Bickerstaff said he wishes to explore going into the playoffs. Cunningham checked out for the final time with 8:26 remaining.

Pistons continue hot streak from 3

For most of the season, the Pistons have been below average at knocking down 3-pointers. But during the last month, they've improved substantially.

In their last 20 games since March 3 entering Wednesday, the Pistons shot 38.6% from 3 – a clip that would rank third league-wide if maintained during the entire season and a notable bump over their season-long average of 35.4%. Players shooting at least 38% from 3 in that span include Tobias Harris (38.3%), Jenkins (42.2%), Javonte Green (42.9%), Marcus Sasser (45.3%), Stewart (45.5%), Cunningham (46.2%) and Robinson (47.2%), who also is leading the team in attempts in that stretch with 5.8 per game.

It's a good sign heading into the playoffs. Outside shooting has been a weakness for an offense that otherwise ranks No. 11 across the league. They're finding a rhythm at the right time.

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Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky and/or X @omarisankofa.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Cade Cunningham, Isaiah Stewart return for Pistons' blowout win vs Bucks