Detroit Pistons’ Cade Cunningham called Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown a “class act” and “one of the better ones” after they faced off on Monday.

The Pistons edged the Celtics 104-103 at Little Caesars Arena to build a bigger gap between themselves and the second seed in the Eastern Conference.

Both players were named as NBA All-Star starters ahead of the game, and Brown went on to score 32 points and register 11 rebounds in the defeat, while also missing a potential game-winning shot.

Brown has taken on additional responsibilities with the Celtics this season after Jayson Tatum suffered an Achilles injury during last season’s playoff run.

Cunningham praised Brown for how he has handled the extra pressure, relishing the opportunity to take on a fellow All-Star.

“To be on top of someone's scouting report offensively is impressive and then take the responsibility of guarding the other side's top [offensive player], I got a lot of respect for that,” Cunningham said about Brown.

“He's a class act. It's the competition I love. He's one of the better ones.”

Cade’s repping the official @NBAAllStar starter jersey patch tonight  pic.twitter.com/0PhvCKr43n

— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) January 20, 2026

Cunningham, meanwhile, recorded 16 points and 14 assists in their win over the Celtics, while veteran forward Tobias Harris’ 25 points were the most for the Pistons.

Jalen Duran also contributed with 18 points and nine rebounds, while Duncan Robinson’s 15 points all came from beyond the three-point line.

In the All-Star voting among players, Cunningham finished first in the Eastern Conference ahead of Brown and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Detroit point guard was quick to credit his team-mates after being named as a starter for the event.

“More than anything, you want respect from your peers,” Cunningham said.

“Yeah, it means a lot. I think it just is a testament to the amount of success we've had as a team.

“I think the league has to respect that. You know, being number one team in the East, night in and night out, finding ways to get wins.”