Pistons Vs Knicks: Cade Cunningham's 42 points cap season sweep at MSG
The Detroit win over New York at Madison Square Garden completed a regular-season sweep in the pistons vs knicks series and deepened Detroit's hold on the Eastern Conference top seed. Cade Cunningham finished with 42 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds as the Pistons rolled to a 126-111 victory, extending a season pattern of decisive wins over the Knicks.
Pistons Vs Knicks: Cunningham's near triple-double
Cunningham produced one of his strongest finishes of the season, ending the night with 42 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds. He hit multiple 3-pointers in the first quarter, closed the first half with a late scoring burst and then took control again in the third and fourth quarters. Detroit built and sustained a double-digit lead late in the second quarter and pushed the margin decisively in the second half.
How the game unfolded at MSG
The final was 126-111. Paul Reed started in the middle for Detroit and added 18 points, along with rebounds and blocks that helped neutralize the Knicks’ size advantage on paper. Jalen Brunson led New York with 33 points. The Pistons were without Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren because of suspensions; the Knicks were missing Miles McBride for the game. Detroit’s three wins over New York this season have come by large margins—the team’s average margin of victory across the three matchups was 28 points, with the Knicks’ earlier defeats in the series reaching 31 and 38 points.
Standings impact and short-term outlook
The victory left Detroit at 41-13, the best record noted in the coverage, while New York stood at 35-21 and was seven games back of the top seed. The Knicks are tied with the Cavaliers for the No. 3 seed. With just over 20 games remaining in the regular season, Detroit’s cushion at the top of the conference has grown meaningfully. If Detroit maintains its current pace through the remaining schedule, the observable indicators point to an increasingly slim chance of a climb to the conference’s top spot for challengers.
Next steps for both clubs
Detroit continues on the road with a scheduled visit to Chicago on Saturday at 8: 00 p. m. ET. New York will head to Cleveland to face the Cavaliers on Tuesday. Teams’ immediate focuses include managing rotations while key players are unavailable through suspension or other absences and maintaining performance levels across the final stretch of the regular season. The Knicks will look to close the gap in the standings, while the Pistons will aim to preserve their lead and momentum heading into the postseason.
Key takeaways: Cunningham’s 42-point, 13-assist night reinforced his case as a central driving force for Detroit; the Pistons completed a sweep of New York with consistent, large-margin wins; and with limited regular-season games remaining, Detroit’s position atop the conference appears increasingly secure based on current records and remaining schedule items.
