Ausar Thompson posts his first career triple-double as Detroit survives two last-second Washington answers to improve to 8-3.

WASHINGTON – Cade Cunningham did enough to win the game in regulation. Then he had to do it twice more. 

Cunningham scored a career-high 52 points and Ausar Thompson recorded his first career triple-double as the Detroit Pistons outlasted the Washington Wizards, 144-140, in double overtime Thursday night at Capital One Arena. 

Cunningham topped his previous career high of 46 points. His 52 are tied with George Yardley (Feb. 4, 1958) for the fourth most in a game in franchise history. He scored 18 points in the fourth quarter and 12 more across the two overtimes, and he played 47:59 of the game’s 58 minutes. 

“Again, it speaks to who he is,” said head coach J.B. Bickerstaff. “The more and more you’re around him, the more and more you respect him for who he is and what his abilities are. To be able to do what he does in the moment when he’s called on is unique, and it’s special. He never ceases to amaze. He just understands what it takes to get it done, and then has all the abilities to make those things happen.” 

The game had 20 lead changes and 13 ties, and Detroit nearly let it slip away more than once. 

The Pistons took a 94-90 lead into the fourth quarter, and Cunningham scored eight of their first 10 points of the period. A Paul Reed layup off a Cunningham feed made it 116-110 with 2:38 left. Washington answered with three-pointers from Alex Sarr and Kyshawn George, and George’s 31-footer with 32.5 seconds left put the Wizards ahead, 118-117. 

Cunningham went to the line twice in the final 26 seconds and made all four free throws to put Detroit up three. Trae Young then hit a 29-foot three-pointer with 1.1 seconds left to force overtime. 

Washington scored the first seven points of the first overtime and led 128-121 with 3:20 to go. Detroit came back again. Cunningham hit a pull-up jumper and two free throws, and Thompson added a tip-in. Then Cunningham’s 27-foot three-pointer tied the game at 130 with 33.1 seconds left. Duncan Robinson put the Pistons ahead on a Cunningham assist with 9.6 seconds left, but AJ Dybantsa tied it with 2.8 seconds remaining to send the game to a second overtime. 

Detroit never trailed in the second overtime. Cunningham opened the period with a three-pointer off a Thompson assist, and Thompson followed with a tip-in. Robinson’s dunk off another Thompson feed made it 139-134. After Cunningham’s fadeaway with 25.3 seconds left, Kevin Huerter made two free throws with 11.4 seconds remaining to close it out. 

Thompson finished with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, plus three steals and three blocks, in 42:54 to record the first triple-double of his career. 

“The aggressiveness,” Bickerstaff said. “We want to put the ball in his hands, we want him to be attack-minded. He knows he’s got to help us on the defensive boards as well. So that’s who he is, he’s a complete player. And the more he grows, the more of this we’ll see.” 

Daniss Jenkins added 21 points, and Reed had 13 points and 11 rebounds off the bench, with Jalen Duren still out with a right hamstring strain. Robinson scored 13, Huerter 11 and John Collins 10. 

Washington had three big scorers. Young had 37 points and 14 assists, Anthony Davis had 30 points and 15 rebounds, and Sarr scored 30 on 12-of-14 shooting. The Wizards won the paint 62-52, but Detroit outscored them 26-12 in transition. 

For Bickerstaff, the win was something to learn from, not just celebrate. 

“I told the guys I was proud of their resolve, and I respect their resolve. But we made too many mistakes to put ourselves in that position,” he said. “We hold ourselves to a higher standard. In certain moments where we have to be able to generate a stop, we have to be able to trust each other. And tonight I thought we made too many mistakes in those moments.” 

The Pistons (8-3) return to action Saturday against the Miami Heat at the Kaseya Center. Tipoff is set for 8:00PM ET.