Pistons guard Cade Cunningham brought out his A-game for a big matchup with the New York Knicks
Playing in the national spotlight, Pistons guard Cade Cunningham knew he had a big opportunity to make a statement against the New York Knicks in Monday night’s 31-point win.
Still motivated by last season’s first round playoff exit, Cunningham felt a bit more weight on his shoulders than he normally does. Detroit was missing 40% of its starting lineup with Tobias Harris and Jalen Duren sidelined due to injury, so the Pistons’ All-Star guard knew he would need another dominant effort to defeat the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 team.
“I knew, like I said, having guys down that contribute so much, the team is going to look for me, for my energy,” Cunningham said after the game. “So, I just wanted to start on a good note and spark some life into the team.”
Cunningham did just that and seemed to take his matchup with New York point guard Jalen Brunson personally, just like the crowd at Little Caesars Arena wanted. Every time Brunson touched the ball, the crowd flooded the arena with incessant boos. When Cade stepped to the free throw line repeatedly during the contest, the fans chanted “MVP! MVP!” in stark contrast.
“We had a great win last night in Cleveland down a lot of our guys, so we just wanted to continue that momentum,” Cunningham said. “
Cunningham finished the game with a huge double-double, logging 29 points and 13 assists in the win, but Cade’s defense and his two-way play deserve a shoutout as well. Cunningham had two blocks and a steal in Detroit’s huge win, but it was his consistent pressure on Brunson in the half court that frustrated the New York ball handler all game long. The Knicks’ All-Star point guard finished without a single assist on the night as Cunningham disrupted his playmaking ability and forced Brunson onto his second or third option on almost every possession.
After the game, New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown confirmed what the difference in the matchup was between two familiar, contentious Eastern Conference foes.
“It’s pretty simple: they just physically kicked our ass,” Brown said.
From a defensive perspective, the Pistons brought intensity and forced turnovers from the start. Detroit big man Isaiah Stewart showcased exactly why he’s looked at as one of the premier interior defenders in the NBA, and he put the clamps on Karl-Anthony Towns all night long. Towns finished the game just just six points on four shot attempts, and that’s a product of the work Beef Stew put in down in the low post.
From Cunningham’s perspective, the Pistons’ 31-point victory over the Knicks on the second night of a back-to-back highlights the tight-knit bonds on Detroit’s squad given the team’s ability to bounce back even with an atypical starting lineup.
“Just the togetherness, the resiliency,” Cunningham said. “From top to bottom, we’ve had guys step up night in, night out to allow us to get wins. Whether I’m out, Tobias, JD, like whoever’s out, it’s next man up mentality. People step in and make great plays for us to win games. So, I think just the culture we’re building, the togetherness has been a huge part of it. It’s fun coming to work every day being a part of this group.”
The Pistons had a major challenge coming into Monday night’s game against the Knicks, but the results showed that Detroit passed with flying colors. The Pistons extended their gap over the Knicks in first place of the Eastern Conference and did so in a very Detroit-fashion– with grit and force.
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