Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff heaped praise on Cade Cunningham after the point guard's historic display against the Washington Wizards.

Cunningham led the Pistons to a double overtime victory over the Wizards, with Detroit prevailing 144-140 at Capital One Arena.

The Pistons star scored a career-high 52 points, shooting 16-for-25 from the field (64%), while also providing 11 assists with no turnovers and grabbing five rebounds.

Cunningham became the first player in NBA history with 50+ points and 10+ assists with no turnovers in a single game, while equalling the fourth-most points in a game in franchise history.

He is also the fifth player with a 50-point double-double and zero turnovers in a game since 1977-78, joining Michael Jordan (twice), Moses Malone, Carmelo Anthony and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Cunningham became the third Pistons player with a 50-point double-double, joining George Yardley (twice in 1957-58) and Blake Griffin (2018-19).

He scored 30 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, the most by a Pistons player in the play-by-play era (since 1997-98), and Bickerstaff lauded Cunningham's ability to step up in the big moments.

"It speaks to who he is," Bickerstaff said about Cunningham.

"The more and more you're around him, the more and more you respect him for who he is and what his abilities are.

Cade CunningHIM. https://t.co/YkUFHB21Vo

— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) November 13, 2026

"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 Pistons are now 8-3 on the season, the third-best record in the Eastern Conference, but Bickerstaff acknowledged the mistakes they made against the Wizards.

"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 added.

"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 I thought we made too many mistakes in those moments."