The Detroit Pistons were without two key pieces against the Knicks but their most important, one could say valuable, player was in the lineup-- Cade Cunningham
Playing under the bright lights at Madison Square Garden for the first game back from the All-Star Break, the Detroit Pistons arrived in New York with a difficult task on their hands without Jalen Duren or Isaiah Stewart in the lineup.
Still serving their respective suspensions for the Hornets brawl, JD and Beef Stew were unable to contribute to the Pistons battle against the Knicks, which was a physical affair from start to finish, but All-Star point guard Cade Cunningham made sure that Detroit would be in good hands without the big men. The Pistons walked into the Knicks building on Thursday night and left the facility with a 15-point win in New York, 126-111.
From the initial jump, Cunningham looked energized, likely riding a confident hot streak after winning the All-Star Game out in Los Angeles over the weekend, and the All-Pro floor general turned in perhaps his most impressive scoring display of the 2025-26 campaign. With a particularly dialed in three-point shot on Thursday night, Cunningham dropped 42 points (17-for-34 FGs), 13 assists, eight rebounds, two blocks and one steal in what can only be assessed as an MVP-caliber effort.
"We've played, I don't know how many games now, do the math for me, but he's been that all year long," Bickerstaff said after the game. "I don't think you pick an MVP based off just one game or one statement. He's been this way for the entire season. He's dominated both ends of the floor, impacted winning in a major way, so this was just another night of him being the same and doing the same that he's done night in and night out for us."
In the first quarter, Cunningham connected on a pair of three-pointers that helped dig Detroit out of an early deficit, but the Knicks looked prepared to fight through a contact-riddled first quarter with more than a handful of fouls called on each team. Cunningham varied his attack, however, and made regular use of the paint to connect his mid-range game with an outside jumper that had already hurt the Knicks.
Without Duren to help lighten the scoring load, Cunningham knew that he would be counted upon to drive the Pistons’ offense in a difficult road environment, but Paul Reed stepped up during his spot start with 18 points and seven rebounds down low. In that department, Tobias Harris snagged 10 rebounds of his own to pair with 11 points for a double-double in his 15th year in the league.
To further cement how special and rare Cunningham's performance in the Garden was, consider this: Cade is the first visiting player to score 40 points with at least 10 assists since LeBron James in 2009. So, 17 years have passed since the last time a road player has dominated the Knicks in their own house so thoroughly.
Cunningham also became the first player in franchise history with 40 points, 10 assists, five rebounds and five three-pointers in one game for the Pistons, further inscribing his name all over the Detroit record book.
From a defensive perspective, the Pistons brought the same degree of intensity and physicality that they’re known for even without Beef Stew anchoring the squad in the paint. Detroit held the Knicks to an abysmal 8-for-35 mark from downtown, and that poor perimeter shooting performance from New York hamstrung their chances in an already difficult matchup.
The Pistons swept the season series against the Knicks on account of tonight’s 15-point win, and Detroit has managed a 28-point margin of victory on average over New York this season.
For more information on the latest Detroit Pistons team or player news, follow @EricJRutter on X for continued basketball coverage. Also be sure to look up Roundtable - Michigan Men Media on Facebook for continued social media coverage of all the sporting teams in the Mitten.