Cunningham leads Pistons to road win over Knicks with second-half heroics

Coty M. Davis, The Detroit News on Jan 13, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

Coach J.B. Bickerstaff has preached ball movement and team effort since taking over the franchise as coach of the Detroit Pistons in July. But when it comes to Cade Cunningham, Bickerstaff recently revealed that his starting point guard will always have the "green light."

"There is not a light green enough that Cade does not have," Bickerstaff said. "Whatever shot Cade would like to shoot, from wherever he would like to shoot it, he has the freedom. The neon green. What goes further than that? Ninja Turtle Green? Whatever you want it to be, he has that light."

Bickerstaff doesn't care what shot Cunningham takes because of his empathy for his teammates and his desire to keep them involved. But on Monday night at Madison Square Garden, Cunningham put Bickerstaff's leeway to good use.

He shook off a subpar start by erupting for 18 points (7-10 FG, 2-4 3PT) in the third quarter against the New York Knicks. Cunningham's heroics during the period led to the Pistons taking a 124-119 win. Detroit improved to 21-19 on the season while winning seven out of its last eight games.

Cunningham had one of his best scoring performances of the season, recording 36 points in 14-of-27 shooting and 4 of 8 from deep. He scored 29 points in the second half. With 2:30 left in the fourth quarter, Cunningham scored on a running layup to give the Pistons a 116-112 lead.

However, on the next possession, the Knicks made it a one-possession game when Josh Hart, who recorded 14 rebounds and 12 points, converted his layup. Mikal Bridges, who finished with 27 points, scored on a huge 3-pointer to cut New York's deficit to one (118-117) with 1:25 left. However, Malik Beasley put the game away with back-to-back triples to secure a victory for Detroit.

But despite Cunningham's heroics, it was not a one-person show for Detroit. Ausar Thompson added 11 points, seven rebounds and two steals. Tobias Harris added 11 points, eight rebounds and three steals.

Marcus Sasser also significantly contributed to the Pistons, adding seven points and four assists off the bench. With 6:20 left in the fourth quarter, Sasser connected on a huge 3-point field goal, giving Detroit a 110-105 lead and halting New York's momentum.

Cameron Payne began to change the Knicks' tone after a lackluster start. He scored eight of his 10 points in the second quarter and helped initiate a 16-2 run for New York. The Knicks outscored the Pistons 37-22 during the period, which resulted in Detroit trailing 63-59 by halftime.

Payne replicated Malik Beasley's hot start in the first quarter. He began the night shooting 4 of 4 from the field, which led to the Pistons holding an 11-point lead, 37-26, at the end of the period. Beasley finished with 22 points shooting 6 of 8 on 3-point shooting.

Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 31 points. Karl-Anthony Towns recorded with 26 points and 12 rebounds.

Observations and notes vs. Knicks

— Did foul trouble hinder Duren's play?: Jalen Duren did not have his typical performance against the Knicks. In fact, it was a modest night for the former first-round pick. He did not play with his usual aggression. After a solid first quarter, foul trouble played a major role in his struggles. Despite toning down his aggression, Duren fouled out of the game during the final four minutes.

— Another night of free throw discrepancy: The Pistons have done a good job of gaining the respect of their opponents, but they still have a long way to go before receiving the same esteem from officials. There is a significant gap between the number of fouls called by both teams. In the first half alone, New York shot 22 attempts from the foul line. Detroit finished the first half with nine.

— Starting a five-unit set?: The Pistons have used a variety of starting lineups since losing Jaden Ivey on New Year's Day. However, Bickerstaff may have found a starting unit he likes. For the third time since Jan. 1, the Pistons employed a starting unit of Cunningham, Duren, Hardaway, Harris and Thompson. It also marked the first time since Ivey's injury that Bickerstaff used the same starting lineup for the second consecutive game.

Up next

The Pistons will return to Little Caesars Arena for a two-game homestand that begins Thursday night against the Indiana Pacers. They will then welcome the Phoenix Suns to Detroit before starting a five-game road trip on Monday in Houston. Tipoff between the Pistons and Pacers is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

____