It’s been a good week for Detroit basketball.
The Pistons, for the first time in 19 years, have sewn up the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed in the NBA playoffs. The University of Michigan won its first men’s basketball national championship since 1989.
On top of that, there’s great news about the status of Pistons star Cade Cunningham.
After missing time after suffering a collapsed lung, Cunningham is expected to make his return Wednesday night against the Milwaukee Bucks, according to ESPN’s Vincent Goodwill.
Cunningham missed the previous 11 games. He was last active during a March 17 game against the Washington Wizards. Detroit won that game, 130-117, but Cunningham left with his injury after about five minutes of playing time.
The Pistons went 8-3 without Cunningham. Overall, the team has a 13-5 record and has averaged 114.8 points per game without its MVP candidate.
Cunningham has averaged 24.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and a career-high 9.9 assists in 61 games this season. With just three games remaining, Cunningham seemingly won’t be eligible for end-of-year awards, such as Most Valuable Player, due to the league’s 65-game threshold.
More important for Cunningham and the Pistons’ brass, though, is his return in time to make a run in the postseason.
It’s the first time that the Pistons have been the top dog in the East since 2007. That season ended with an Eastern Conference finals loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, led by a 22-year-old LeBron James.
Last year, the Pistons snapped a five-year postseason drought with a playoff berth as the No. 6-seed. However, they lost a hard-fought series in the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs to the New York Knicks, 4-2.
The Pistons selected Cunningham with the first overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft out of Oklahoma State. He’s helped lead the charge to get the franchise back to its winning ways.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cade Cunningham playing tonight? Pistons star expected back vs bucks
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