All-Star guard Cade Cunningham of the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons has a collapsed lung and is expected to miss at least two weeks and possibly more, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The exact timeline for a return to play is still unknown, the person said.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because those details were not released publicly.
The regular season ends in less than four
weeks. The Pistons — who listed Cunningham as out for Thursday's game in Washington with a left back contusion — wouldn't start their playoff run until April 18 or 19.
ESPN first reported the details of the injury.
Cunningham got hurt in Tuesday's win over Washington, leaving midway through the opening quarter with what the team called back spasms. He dove for a loose ball and collided into Wizards guard Tre Johnson with 7:44 left in the first, then seemed to be laboring until he checked out 1:04 later.
Cunningham is averaging 24.5 points and 9.9 assists for the Pistons, who are on pace for their best season in nearly two decades.
Detroit entered Thursday 49-19, 3 1/2 games ahead of Boston for the top spot in the East with 14 games remaining. Cunningham has played in 61 games this season, so an extended absence could also mean he doesn't reach the 65-game threshold for eligibility for awards like the All-NBA team.
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