Pistons guard Cunningham leaves game vs. Wizards with back spasms

WASHINGTON (AP) — Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham, a two-time All-Star who is among the leaders in the NBA MVP race, left Tuesday night’s game against the Washington Wizards with back spasms.

Cunningham was injured early in the first quarter while diving for a loose ball and colliding with Wizards guard Tre Johnson. The 2021 No. 1 overall draft pick took a while to get up but played for a few more minutes before being taken out at the 6:40 mark.

The team said during the second quarter he would not return. After the game, which Detroit won 130-117 for Washington's 13th straight loss, Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff gave no update about the injury.

“I don’t have enough information,” he said. “It’s one of those things that unfortunately we’ve dealt with a lot this season and had to call on different guys throughout the year.”

Cunningham is averaging 25 points, 10 assists and 5.6 rebounds this season. He had six points and two rebounds in 5 minutes, 20 seconds on Tuesday night before leaving the game.

Cunningham has played in 61 games this season. A player must appear in 65 games to qualify for major postseason awards like MVP and All-NBA teams.

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