New York, NY — Cade Cunningham delivered a dominant performance Thursday night, pouring in 42 points and dishing out 13 assists to power the Detroit Pistons to a 126-111 victory over the New York Knicks.
With the win, Detroit completed a season sweep of New York, claiming all three matchups between the teams.
Detroit received balanced production behind Cunningham’s star turn. Paul Reed contributed 18 points, Tobias Harris recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Ausar Thompson chipped in 10 points as the Eastern Conference leaders continued their strong campaign.
For New York, Jalen Brunson paced the offense with 30 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns added 21 points and 11 rebounds. Landry Shamet scored 15 points and Josh Hart finished with 11, but the Knicks struggled mightily from beyond the arc, connecting on just 8 of 35 attempts (23%).
New York opened the contest with momentum, scoring the first five points and building a quick 9-2 edge. Detroit quickly flipped the script, responding with a decisive 21-8 surge to seize control — a lead they would not relinquish.
The Pistons carried that energy into the closing moments of the first half, using a 7-0 burst to stretch the margin to 58-48 at the break.
The Knicks made a push early in the third quarter, trimming the deficit to 62-60 after a basket from Towns. However, consecutive three-pointers from Duncan Robinson halted the rally and helped Detroit rebuild a double-digit cushion. The Pistons entered the fourth quarter ahead 90-79.
Midway through the final period, Daniss Jenkins’ tip-in extended Detroit’s advantage to 104-85, their largest lead of the night at 19 points. Brunson later drilled a three-pointer with 1:33 remaining to pull New York within 11, but the Knicks were unable to mount a serious comeback.
Detroit managed the victory despite missing key contributors. Jalen Duren, the team’s top rebounder and second-leading scorer, and Isaiah Stewart were unavailable while serving suspensions stemming from a February 9 altercation against Charlotte.
Up Next:
The Pistons travel to Chicago on Saturday, while the Knicks return home to host Houston.
