Cade Cunningham's triple-double leads Pistons to road win over Knicks

Coty M. Davis, The Detroit News on Dec 7, 2024

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Cade Cunningham is having a career year for the Detroit Pistons, and his talents have not gone unnoticed. Although the New York Knicks throttled the Pistons in their previous meeting, coach Tom Thibodeau knew his team was in for a tough one, given the All-NBA level at which Cunningham has played.

Thibodeau described Cunningham as a strong player who can get anything he wants on the court while controlling the game from the mid-range. He demonstrated why Thibodeau had high regard for him as a former No. 1 pick Saturday night. It came in the middle of Cunningham carrying the Pistons to a 120-111 win over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

Cunningham had one of his best career performances, registering 29 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds. His play in New York marked his fifth triple-double of the season and helped Detroit end its three-game losing streak. The win also helped the Pistons avenge an early-season loss. They improved to 10-15 overall.

Cunningham was the star of the show in New York, but he wasn't alone in helping the Pistons end a 16-game losing skid to the Knicks. Malik Beasley scored 12 of his 23 points in the first quarter, which led to a 39-23 lead. He shot 7 of 10 from behind the arc, and four of his 3-point field goals came in the first frame.

Tobias Harris recorded 13 points and nine rebounds, and Jalen Duren added 12 points. The Pistons' last win against the Knicks came in November 2019. Tim Hardaway Jr., whom the Knicks drafted in the first round of the 2013 NBA draft, finished with 11.

Cunningham's driving hook shot gave the Pistons their largest lead of the night with 10:03 left in the third quarter. They went up by 17 points. However, New York began to find its groove after a subpar first half.

The Knicks outscored Detroit 27-20 during the period and once cut their double-digit deficit to 89-85 entering the fourth quarter. But each time the Knicks appeared to embark on a comeback, the Pistons had an answer. Detroit responded to New York's third-quarter surge by going on a 14-2 run.

Jalen Brunson scored a game-high 31 points on 11-of-21 shooting. OG Anunoby and Josh Hart each scored 17 points. Karl-Anthony Towns missed his second game of the season due to a knee injury.

Observations vs. Knicks

— Best start of the season? Getting off to a good start has been a problem for the Pistons all season. However, the Pistons' subpar play during the first quarter only became a significant issue amid their most recent three-game losing streak.

Since falling to the Philadelphia 76ers on Nov. 30, the Pistons trailed by 15 or more points during the first quarter in each of the previous three games. With a net rating of 94.9, they also produced the league's fourth-worst offensive production of the quarter.

But against the Knicks, the Pistons arguably had their best start of the season. Detroit started the night on a 13-2 run. The Pistons were clicking on all cylinders during the frame, shooting 64% from the field and 46.7% from behind the arc. With 1:03 left, Beasley connected on a triple that gave the Pistons a 16-point advantage.

— No Ausar Thompson for the second straight game: Thompson missed his second game in a row after making his season debut on Nov. 25. He was out against the Knicks due to a left adductor soreness. There has been no update on his eventual return. Since his debut against the Toronto Raptors, Thompson has played five games, averaging 6.0 points and 3.0 rebounds.

— Jaden Ivey breaking free of his slump? Ivey came to New York in a significant slump, averaging 9.5 points over the previous two games. However, against the Knicks, Ivey had a better performance. He scored 16 points amid a subpar shooting night, going 6 of 16 from the field and 2 of 6 from deep.

Up next

The Pistons' three-game road trip will end Thursday against the Boston Celtics due to their NBA Cup elimination. They will return to Little Caesars Arena on Dec. 16 for a home contest against the Miami Heat. Tipoff between the Pistons and Celtics is slated for 7:30 P.M. at TD Garden.