Pistons' Cade Cunningham matches two legends with bizarre big game 

Cunningham's performance was far from perfect 

For an ironic twist, one of Cunningham's best games was also one of the worst as far as efficiency. He almost reached 50 points, but it took him 45 shots to put 46 points on the board. 

Cunningham shot just 31.1% from the field, connecting on only 14-of-45 shots. His 31 missed shots are now the most any player has endured since the 1976-77 merger. 

The last player to miss 30 shots in a single game was none other than Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant, who suffered that fate on November 7, 2002.

But despite the missed shots, Cunningham has continued to ascend as one of the top players in the Eastern Conference. 

The first overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft entered the game averaging 25.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 9.8 assists, showing his complete versatility and ability to take over a game when necessary.