Cade Cunningham adds to MVP case with 42 points as Pistons sweep Knicks at MSG
cade cunningham poured in 42 points and finished with 13 assists and eight rebounds, powering the Detroit Pistons to a 126-111 victory over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 19 and completing a season sweep of New York.
Cade Cunningham dominated every defender in New York
Cunningham finished with 42 points (17-of-34 from the field), 13 assists, eight rebounds and two blocks, knocking down five 3-pointers on 5-of-11 shooting from long range. He opened the game with a 14-point first quarter and closed the third with a sequence that pushed the lead to double digits; late in the fourth he hit a stepback 3 over Jeremy Sochan to reach 40 before throwing a transition alley-oop to Daniss Jenkins that stretched the margin.
On whether he belonged in MVP conversation, Cunningham said, "I think I am [MVP]. " He also said the award would be a by-product of team success: "It comes from doing the things I said, what I needed to do to be in that conversation. " Coach J. B. Bickerstaff added that Cunningham has dominated "both ends of the floor and impacted winning in a major way. "
Pistons held Knicks' shooters in check and overcame missing big men
Detroit held one of the league's top 3-point teams to just 8-of-35 from distance, including a stretch when New York missed 15 straight in the first half. The Pistons did it while without their two biggest frontcourt players because of suspension, inserting Paul Reed and Tolu Smith into the rotation; Reed scored 18 points and provided seven rebounds and three blocks in the start at center.
On New York's side, Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 33 points and seven assists, and Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 21 points, most of them coming in the second half. Still, the Knicks never regained control after Detroit erased an early deficit with a 21-8 run and then built a comfortable lead by halftime.
What the win means and where the Pistons go next
The victory pushed Detroit to 41-13, giving the Pistons the best record in the NBA. The win completed a regular-season sweep of the Knicks and continued a run in which Detroit has taken multiple decisive games against top Eastern Conference teams.
Detroit stays on the road for its next game, a trip to Chicago on Saturday at 8 p. m., where the Pistons will look to carry the form from Madison Square Garden into the next leg of the second half.
