WASHINGTON — In two seconds, the Detroit Pistons' celebration turned to despair. With only two seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, the Pistons led 121-118, but the Washington Wizards had the ball. A defensive breakdown allowed Trae Young to hit his fourth 3-pointer, sending the game into overtime as time expired in regulation.

Although it took two additional periods, the Pistons prevailed in a thrilling 144-140 double-overtime victory Thursday night at Capital One Arena. Cade Cunningham had an outstanding performance, scoring a career-high 52 points on 16-for-25 shooting and adding 11 assists.

Ausar Thompson recorded his first career triple-double with 17 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds. Daniss Jenkins had one of his most efficient games, scoring 21 points on 6-for-10 shooting, 3-for-4 shooting from deep and 7-for-8 shooting from the foul line. He scored 16 points in the first half, helping the Pistons take a 64-61 lead at halftime.

Cunningham scored seven points in the first overtime period, helping Detroit recover from the 7-0 run the Wizards put on them at the start of the extra period.

Duncan Robinson scored 13 points and seemingly made the game-winning shot at the end of the first overtime period. However, Wizards rookie AJ Dybantsa hit a mid-range jumper to tie the game at 132. Dybantsa finished with 13 points for Washington.

The Wizards entered the fourth quarter trailing the Pistons 94-90, but they outscored Detroit 28-27 to spark a late-game rally. Young led the way with 37 points and 14 assists. Before fouling out, Anthony Davis added 30 points and 15 rebounds.

Observations and notes

— A better performance for B. Ball Paul: Paul Reed has been in a slump over the previous three games, averaging 6.7 points on 36.0% shooting from the field. Although Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff's change to the starting lineup was more strategic, it is hard not to wonder whether his recent struggles also played a role in the decision. However, in the second meeting against the Wizards, Reed performed better, finishing with a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds.

— Huerter for Sixth Man in Detroit: Jalen Duren's ongoing absence has forced Bickerstaff to shuffle his rotation. As a result, Kevin Huerter has taken the helm as the Pistons' Sixth Man. He arrived in Washington averaging 18.0 points on 53.8% shooting, with 4.0 assists and 1.5 steals over the previous two games. He had a quiet night against the Wizards, finishing with 11 points. He made a pair of free throws at the end of double overtime to seal the win.

©2026 www.detroitnews.com. Visit at detroitnews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.