Led by superstar point guard Cade Cunningham, the Detroit Pistons are off to a stunning start to the 2025–26 NBA season. Riding an eleven-game winning streak, Detroit sits atop the Eastern Conference at 13–2 and continues to look every bit like a contender.
Cunningham shone once again in Tuesday’s 120–112 victory over the Atlanta Hawks, delivering 25 points and 10 assists while etching his name into the franchise record books with a rare feat.
Cade Cunningham Sets Franchise Record
The Pistons continued their hot start to the season on Tuesday and came out firing on all cylinders against the injury-depleted Atlanta. They had a 67–54 lead at halftime, and while the Hawks outscored them in both of the final quarters, Detroit still managed an eight-point win.
Cunningham, returning after a three-game absence due to a hip issue, wasted no time reestablishing his dominance. The Hawks simply had no answer for him on either end as he posted 25 points, 10 assists, six rebounds, and two steals.
Guess who’s back pic.twitter.com/K5ZhjxJTUd
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) November 19, 2025
The feat marked Cunningham’s fifth straight game with at least 25 points and 10 assists, making him the first player in Pistons history to accomplish such a streak.
Cade making franchise history tonight pic.twitter.com/OckJ3GiblR
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) November 19, 2025
Through 12 games this season, Cunningham is averaging 27.3 points and 9.9 assists on over 43% shooting, and he continues to thrive as Detroit’s late-game closer.
“I relish the moment for sure,” Cunningham said when asked about taking over down the stretch. “I think it’s the responsibility of it that I appreciate so much. … In moments like that, I feel like it’s my opportunity or my job to go make a play.”
Cunningham, drafted first overall by Detroit in 2021, endured early-career struggles with injuries, efficiency, and a rebuilding roster that couldn’t consistently win. But the organization’s decision to part ways with head coach Monty Williams after the 2023–24 season and bring in J.B. Bickerstaff sparked a dramatic shift.
Under Bickerstaff, Cunningham broke through last season, posting career highs of 26.1 points and 9.1 assists per game, earning his first All-Star appearance, an All-NBA selection, and finishing seventh in MVP voting. The Pistons made the playoffs and pushed the New York Knicks to six games, marking their first true step forward in years.
Now, Detroit’s 11-game winning streak has made one thing unmistakably clear: last season wasn’t a fluke. Cunningham has elevated his game yet again, and the Pistons look like a legitimate power in the Eastern Conference.
Their current streak is the franchise’s longest since an 11-game run during the 2007–08 season, the last time the Pistons won a playoff series. That squad went 59–23 and reached the Eastern Conference Finals, and Detroit is hoping history repeats itself.
