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NBA NBA Season Latest Cade Cunningham left Tuesday's Pistons game against the Wizards with back spasms. Patrick Smith / Getty Images A game removed from the return of Detroit Pistons wing Ausar Thompson from a right ankle sprain, the Pistons lost All-Star Cade Cunningham to back spasms in the first quarter of Tuesday’s 130-117 win over the Washington Wizards. Cunningham collided with Wizards rookie Tre Johnson when the two were attempting to corral a loose ball with 7: 44 left in the first frame. The 24-year-old Cunningham winced as he stayed down on the hardwood for a few seconds before being helped up. He remained in the game for a few possessions before subbing out for good, tallying six points and two rebounds in five minutes. Advertisement Detroit coach J. B. Bickerstaff didn’t have any updates on Cunningham’s status after the win, but he spoke to his team’s ability to overcome challenges that arise as injuries mount. “Unfortunately, we’ve dealt with a lot this season and had to call on different guys throughout the year, ” Bickerstaff said as he addressed reporters. “Tonight was an opportunity to do that, give guys minutes and give guys opportunities to see what they could do. ” The Pistons’ second All-Star, Jalen Duren, who’s made the most of his opportunities all season long, posted a career-high 36 points on 13-of-17 shooting and went 10 of 11 from the free-throw line. Duren tacked on a game-high 12 boards and was relentless in the paint against a Washington team that offered little to no resistance at the rim with center Alex Sarr sidelined. Daniss Jenkins started the second half in Cunningham’s place, adding 15 points and a game-high seven assists. If Cunningham misses time with his back spasms, Jenkins and Marcus Sasser would likely have elevated roles. Jenkins has started eight games this season and is more of a traditional point guard than Sasser, though Sasser is the better 3-point shooter, as evidenced by his 43 percent mark from distance. Sasser started the five games Thompson was out while recovering from his right ankle sprain. Detroit announced Tuesday morning that Isaiah Stewart, who last played against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday, suffered a Grade 1 calf strain and will be reevaluated in one week. While it’s unclear how severe Cunningham’s back spasms are, the Pistons are already without an integral piece of their rotation in Stewart and would sorely feel the void Cunningham would leave. Bickerstaff spoke pregame on just how important good health is for Detroit as it approaches the postseason. Advertisement “The most important thing is health and habits, ” Bickerstaff said. “We’ve got to make sure, this month has been a lot of games for us, it will be a lot of games for us. So, making sure that we’re doing things right on the off days, how we’re recovering and all those things, to get guys opportunities to get on the floor, so that we can continue to work those habits. That’s priority number one for us. ” The Pistons have 18 games in 31 days during March, with five back-to-backs. Bickerstaff has relied heavily on Detroit’s depth all season and, depending on the severity of Cunningham’s back spasms, may need to do so again during its final 14 regular-season games. Cunningham was averaging 24. 9 points, 10. 1 assists, 5. 6 rebounds and 1. 5 steals per game entering Tuesday. His assists, steals and 10. 9 net rating are all on pace to be career bests. Even Kevin Huerter — who’s been averaging 7. 0 points, 3. 3 rebounds and 2. 6 assists in 20. 3 minutes during his last eight games — could be in line for an uptick in opportunity. “I don’t think people acknowledge enough how difficult trade-deadline trades actually are, ” Bickerstaff said pregame. “Because you don’t have as much time to implement and see all the things you might want to see. So it’s hard on Kevin, it’s hard on the team to try to figure all that stuff out. We know he’s a good basketball player, we know he can help us. But finding the right combinations and lineups, especially on a team that had been winning, you don’t want to interfere with that. “We’ve been trying our best, and some of the injuries have allowed us to do that. The amount of games we’ve had this month has allowed us to do that. But it’s something we’re thoughtful of and we continue to work through. ” The Pistons (49-19) now have a four-game lead on the Boston Celtics atop the Eastern Conference. Cunningham’s health is paramount for Detroit to have success during the playoffs. But even if Cunningham’s back spasms require him to miss time, Bickerstaff is optimistic his absence could give others a chance to earn more minutes as he looks to finalize postseason rotations. “It’s extremely important, ” Bickerstaff said. “Trying to find the right combinations for different situations that we might face and continue to grow. ” Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle Hunter Patterson is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Detroit Pistons. Before joining the NBA staff, Hunter was an editor on The Athletic's news desk and provided occasional Sacramento Kings coverage. Prior to The Athletic, he worked for the NBA as a broadcasting assistant. Hunter graduated from Loyola Marymount University and earned his master's degree in Specialized Journalism at the University of Southern California.