Cunningham had 22 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds. Malik Beasley and Tobias Harris also scored 22 points for Detroit.
Trae Young gave the Hawks their first lead of the game at 121-120 with 12.5 seconds left. But Cunningham drove and hit a hook shot in traffic to put Detroit back in front.
Young then drove to the basket before dishing the ball to Onyeka Okongwu, but Cunningham blocked his shot as time expired.
Young had 35 points and 13 assists. Jalen Johnson scored 20 for Atlanta.
The Hawks trailed by as many as 24 points in the first half, but they tied the game on Dyson Daniels' floater with 3:36 to play.
Harris answered with a 3-pointer, and after Okongwu's dunk, Jaden Ivey's three-point play made it 120-116 with 2:31 left.
The Pistons Dominate Early
The Pistons started the game effectively, building to a 40-23 lead after the first quarter while moving the ball well for a season high 14 assists. Their lead narrowed in the the second quarter, but the Pistons took a 13-point lead, 66-53, into the intermission. Then the Hawks cut into the Pistons' lead in the third, getting as close as three points on Jalen Johnson's step-back 3-pointer with 1:52 left in the third. But Ivey answered with a 12-foot jumper 18 seconds later to give the Pistons some breathing room. The third-year guard finished with 18 points, three rebounds and three assists.
The Hawks came into this game averaging 29.1 points in the first quarter; the Pistons held them to 23.
The Hawks Comeback
The Hawks trailed the Pistons 108-103 with six minutes left when Young connected on a wide-open jumper to bring Atlanta within three. A few possessions later, Dyson Daniels tied the game at 114 with a layup, but Harris connected on a huge triple to bring Detroit back out in front by three (117-114) with 3:17 left. On the next offensive possession, Ivey's And-1 basket put the Pistons ahead 120-116.
Key Moment
Detroit led 99-88 early in the fourth quarter, but Larry Nance Jr. dunked in traffic and hit a 3-pointer to get the Hawks within six with 9:05 left.
Cunningham Shines
Cunningham recorded his third consecutive triple-double with 22 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds. Young led the Hawks with a game-high 35 points and 13 assists.
Detroit had arguably its best quarter of the season due to the ball movement displayed in the first period. They recorded 14 assists, which led to an early 40-23 lead. Cunningham accounted for seven of the Pistons' assists, setting a league record for the most dimes in a quarter this season.
He finished the first half with 10. Three came from Tobias Harris, who began the night shooting 5-of-6 from the field and 3-of-5 from behind the arc for 16 first-half points. He finished the night with 22 points on 7-of-13 shooting, six rebounds and three blocks.
Stewart Steps Up
Isaiah Stewart started at center in place of Jalen Duren, who missed his first game of the season due to an ankle sprain. Stewart added a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds.
The Game's Final Moments
The Pistons nearly fell apart in the fourth quarter, where the Hawks outscored them, 36-27. Detroit held a 120-119 lead when Trae Young connected on a pair of foul shots to complete a near 24-point comeback. In the final seconds, Cade Cunningham scored the game-winning basket on a running left-hander, which led to the Pistons winning their third game in four tries.
As for the game-saving block, Cunningham said, "(Isaiah Stewart) stepped over and made a good play on Trae to make him make an extra pass. … So just cracking down, and I was in the right spot at the right time."
Pistons Looking Ahead
The Pistons continue their three-game homestand on Sunday against the Houston Rockets at 3 p.m. On Tuesday night, their homestand will end against the Miami Heat, which also marks the start of the Emirates NBA Cup 2024.
Takeaways: A Look at the Big Picture
The Pistons have their best scoring performance of the season. The Pistons had their best scoring outing, a season-high 122 points. With 66 in the first half, Detroit recorded its second-most points in a half this season. And with 40 in the first quarter, it marked the Pistons' highest-scoring period this year.
Malik Beasley continues to provide the Pistons a major boost off the bench. The Pistons had six players who scored in double figures and three who recorded 22 points: Cunningham, Harris and Malik Beasley, who played 33 minutes off the bench and shot 8-of-14 from the field and 3-of-9 on 3-point shooting. Beasley scored a season-high, continuing to prove how he became one of the Pistons' top acquisitions of the offseason.
Isaiah Stewart has a big defensive impact. Isaiah Stewart recorded his first double-double of the season in his first start since March 18, 2024. Although he registered one block, Stewart altered several shots around the basket and contributed to Young's first-half shooting struggles.
