Cade Cunningham made an enormous assertion within the Huge Apple on Thursday.
The 2-time All-Star, recent off a win with Crew USA Stars on the 2026 All-Star Recreation, had a monster sport for the Detroit Pistons (41-13, first in Jap Convention) of their first sport because the in-season break, a powerful 126-111 win over the New York Knicks (35-21, third in Jap Convention).
Cunningham led all gamers with 42 factors on 17-of-34 capturing whereas including 13 assists, making him the primary visiting participant since LeBron James (2009) and fifth all-time to report not less than 40 factors and 10 assists at Madison Sq. Backyard, according to Stathead research, together with simply the third on the present MSG, additionally becoming a member of Allen Iverson (2005).
With the win, the Pistons emphasised they don’t seem to be only a feel-good regular-season story. They seem to be a bona fide title contender two years faraway from being the NBA’s worst group.
Large Cade Cunningham sport a reminder Pistons are for actual
In April 2024, Detroit was placing the ending touches on a 14-68 marketing campaign, the worst in franchise historical past. It took a significant leap ahead final season, posting a 30-win enhance to go 44-38 and end sixth within the East earlier than being knocked out by the Knicks within the first spherical of the playoffs.
The Pistons have constructed on that basis this 12 months, however with extra veteran groups within the convention, such because the Knicks, Boston Celtics (35-19, second in Jap Convention) and Cleveland Cavaliers (35-21, fourth in Jap Convention), there’s been a concern in anointing them too early. Per FanDuel, the Celtics and Cavs rank forward of them in odds of profitable the Jap Convention.
However video games like Cunningham’s in opposition to New York present Detroit is able to taking one other large step ahead this spring. He was the clear finest participant on the courtroom Thursday, making photographs from all areas, together with splitting the defenders when attacking the paint for a one-handed dunk and drilling a 3 on a mismatch with Knicks heart Karl-Anthony Cities guarding him within the third.
