4 months ago
- Pistons
- Updated: Jan. 05, 2026, 9:34 p.m.
- Published: Jan. 05, 2026, 9:33 p.m.
DETROIT — After a contentious playoff bid pinch nan New York Knicks past season, nan Detroit Pistons were near quiet for more.
That’s translated to nan Pistons storming to nan beforehand of nan Eastern Conference. But successful their first chance to spot nan Knicks since their elimination, it meant a commanding capacity that near nary doubts.
Cade Cunningham put connected a ascendant nighttime posting 29 points and 13 assists, without scoring successful nan 4th quarter, to lead nan Pistons to a 121-90 triumph astatine Little Caesars Arena Monday night.
The first gathering betwixt nan teams since nan playoffs featured nan Pistons (27-9) atop nan Eastern Conference and nan Knicks (23-13) astatine No. 2 conscionable a fistful of games behind.
Despite missing Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren and Caris LeVert owed to injury, nan Pistons changeable complete 50% from nan section and three-point range. Javonte Green scored 17 and Jaden Ivey added 16 — some disconnected nan chair — arsenic Detroit earned a marquee victory.
The location crowd was successful it early, hurling boos down astatine Knicks defender Jalen Brunson nan first clip he touched nan ball. He responded successful benignant pinch a 12-point first quarter.
But nan Pistons were putting together coagulated squad shot to offset his harm pinch an early 9-0 tally arsenic Duncan Robinson and Isaiah Stewart deed their first looks from deep.
Before taking to nan chair toward nan extremity of nan period, Cunningham caught up pinch Brunson, scoring 12 points connected 5-of-6 shooting. A three-point spark from Jordan Clarkson, kept nan Pistons from getting retired up and led by 1 constituent going into nan 2nd quarter.
Detroit sewage its ain chair spark arsenic their reserves showed immoderate value defense, forcing nan Knicks into 5 early turnovers, including a brace of violative fouls and a brace of blocks from Daniss Jenkins.
In nan 2nd 4th unsocial he posted 7 points, 3 dimes and had nan 2 blocks — having totaled 1 artifact successful his profession earlier Monday.
The Pistons went retired by arsenic overmuch arsenic 11 points, but New York consistently had a response, shooting 8-of-14 from beyond nan arc successful nan first half.
Detroit put immoderate bully region successful nan closing minutes arsenic different triple from Robinson and a last-second provender from Cunningham to Ausar Thompson for an easy dunk that pushed nan Pistons up 64-54 astatine halftime.
The 3rd 4th was each Detroit and each Cunningham.
While nan Knicks were sluggish retired of nan break — shooting 5-of-23 successful nan 3rd — Cunningham was dominating pinch a 15-point 4th that extended nan Pistons’ lead retired to arsenic overmuch arsenic 24 points.
It seemed for illustration Cunningham was conscionable astir everywhere, providing assists connected 2-of-4 Detroit baskets he didn’t make successful nan play and delivering a decisive artifact playing modulation defense connected New York’s Miles McBride.
Even arsenic nan Knicks recovered immoderate hit precocious successful nan quarter, Jaden Ivey scored nan last six points for nan Pistons to support a 20-point lead and manus New York its lowest-scoring 4th of nan play pinch 15 points.
The Pistons didn’t request overmuch from nan 4th fourth to get nan win, but Green sewage them location pinch 12 points successful nan period. Detroit went heavy into its chair pinch 5 minutes to go, letting rookie Chaz Lanier, Marcus Sasser and two-way halfway Tolu Smith get immoderate tally successful what became a runaway victory.
BOX SCORE
Up next: The Pistons support their location guidelines going connected Wednesday erstwhile they big nan Chicago Bulls. The teams divided their first 2 matchups this season, pinch nan location squad winning each.
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Jacob Richman is simply a sports newsman for MLive.com and covers pro and assemblage teams crossed Michigan. Before joining MLive, Jacob covered assemblage sports successful Texas astatine LoneStarLive.com pinch a attraction connected Texas A&M and...
