DENVER — A bad season potentially got worse for the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night.

Cade Cunningham exited their road game against the Nuggets in the second quarter with a left knee sprain, and was declared out by the team's medical staff. The third-year guard is in the midst of a strong season, averaging 23.4 points, 7.4 assists and 4.1 rebounds entering the game.

It's unclear if the injury will cause Cunningham to miss additional time. The 2021 first overall pick has appeared in all 36 of Detroit's games this season after missing all but 12 games last season with a left shin fracture, for which he underwent surgery in December of 2022.

MORE ON CUNNINGHAM: He's playing like a star. His next step: Delivering wins for Pistons

He's played his best basketball in the last few weeks, averaging 29.1 points, 8.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals on 52.7% overall shooting and 38.8% shooting from 3 in his last nine games. If he misses time, his injury could open the door for rookie Marcus Sasser re-entering the rotation.

It's been a tough season for the Pistons, who are an NBA-worst 3-32 overall and have dealt with injuries to many of their key players.

Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him @omarisankofa.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons' Cade Cunningham exits game with left knee strain