DETROIT — Cade Cunningham had just finished his rookie season with the Detroit Pistons when then-coach Dwane Casey proposed a trip. Isaiah Stewart, who had just completed his sophomore season, would go, too. Casey coordinated an outing so his two youngsters could sit on the baseline at TD Garden in Boston for Game 4 of the 2022 Eastern Conference finals.
The Celtics were hosting the Miami Heat, and Casey felt it was a good opportunity for Cunningham and Stewart to acclimate to the intensity of postseason basketball. The Pistons were coming off a 23-win season and were the second-to-worst team in the Eastern Conference at the time.
Cunningham, Stewart and Casey watched as the Celtics powered their way through the Heat to represent the East in the NBA Finals before losing to the Golden State Warriors in six games.
Nearly four years and a single-season record 28-game losing streak later, it’s now Cunningham and Stewart who sit atop the Eastern Conference. They’ve become two pillars of a Pistons (31-10) team that’s not only the best in the East but one of the best in the league.
“It was my first time being down on the floor for playoff basketball,” Cunningham told The Athletic after guiding Detroit to a 104-103 win over Boston on Monday. “TD Garden is just different whenever it gets loud. Being on the Heat’s baseline, seeing how the away team was going about sticking together … seeing the demeanor they had, all of that was good to see, and we learned a lot from it.”
What stood out most to Cunningham about that evening was Miami’s poise despite a 20-point loss.
Cunningham carried similar poise down the stretch of the Pistons’ most recent victory, and no 20-point deficit was necessary to evoke it. Cunningham contributed 16 points in Monday’s win, and his 14 assists were more than the Celtics mustered as a team. Plus, with Boston blitzing him and packing the paint each time he tried getting downhill, he didn’t turn the ball over once.
His ability to impact winning without his usual scoring output illustrates what makes Cunningham worthy of being the Pistons’ first All-Star starter since Allen Iverson in 2009.
Cade’s bringing #DetroitBasketball back into the @NBAAllStar starting lineup 🔥 pic.twitter.com/h6rtTFjzhz
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) January 19, 2026
Four of Cunningham’s 14 assists went to Tobias Harris, who dropped a team-high 25 points and had one of his most impactful outings this season. Harris made one timely triple after another down the stretch to give Detroit breathing room as Nas’ “Made You Look”, Harris’ in-arena theme music, blared from the Little Caesars Arena speakers after each.
Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff has referred to Harris as his “safety blanket” thanks to the steadying presence Harris provides. Harris’ performance on Monday once again showed his value.
Stewart played 21 minutes off the bench and was a team-high plus-8. He’s become a master of maximizing his minutes and typically has a momentum-swing block or two. This time, it was Celtics 7-footer Neemias Queta who tried postering Stewart, only to realize why Stewart’s 2.0 blocks per game rank third in the league.
ADD HIM TO THE LIST ✍️ https://t.co/UJb2CzOecs pic.twitter.com/J8Knoxl8f8
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) January 20, 2026
When Stewart sat next to Cunningham on TD Garden’s baseline nearly four years ago, he hoped they’d find the success they’re currently experiencing. Remembering that playoff game, Stewart said it gave him a goal to work toward.
“I didn’t know what it was going to look like,” Stewart told The Athletic in late November after Boston snapped Detroit’s 13-game win streak. “I knew we were working toward it. Cade’s such a competitor; I’m such a competitor. At that time, we were just wishing, like, ‘We’ve gotta get here.’
“To be where we’re at right now, to be in a great position to try to do more great things this season, it’s a great feeling to look back at that.”
Jalen Duren narrowly missed his 20th double-double of the season Monday, registering 18 points and nine boards. Though he wasn’t around for the experience Stewart, Cunningham and Casey shared, he understands the value in visualizing success before manifesting it.
DID IT ONCE, THEN DID IT AGAIN https://t.co/HxQrQMHONm pic.twitter.com/KSkUSxuaUN
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) January 20, 2026
“That helps you see what it takes, what it looks like, what the atmosphere is like,” Duren said, as he stood at his locker. “That’s something they hold onto and don’t forget. … I’ve never been there, obviously. I’ve never seen it, never been to a game, never been in a game in the Eastern Conference finals, so I’m going along as we go.”
Thankfully for Duren, Cunningham and his fellow “Dawg Pound” member Stewart have that 2022 Eastern Conference finals series as a point of reference as the three look to continue trending toward the postseason. They still own a 5 1/2-game lead on the Celtics and the second-best record in the NBA.
But they’ve expressed championship aspirations since media day. Bickerstaff acknowledged postgame that wins like Monday’s are useful to “test your mettle” and “sharpen your tools,” but Detroit has bigger goals than wins at the top of the calendar year.
The trip Casey, currently the Pistons’ senior adviser of basketball operations, orchestrated for Cunningham and Stewart could be crucial in Detroit’s pursuit of playoff success later this season.
“J.B. and his staff have done a great job at getting them to take the next step,” Casey said. “I remember (Cunningham and Stewart) coming in as rookies trying to learn everything. … To see Cade growing not only into an All-Star, but he’s going to be in the MVP conversation. To see him coming in his rookie year and going through injury to where he is now, it’s unbelievable.”
