NEW YORK — Cade Cunningham led the Detroit Pistons with 42 points and 13 assists in the NBA to defeat the New York Knicks 126-111, a victory that confirmed Michigan's dominance in head-to-head matchups this season.
The start favored the home team. New York opened the game with the first five points and reached their largest lead at 9-2. However, the visiting response came quickly: Detroit answered with a 21-8 run that changed the course of the game and allowed them to take a lead they would not relinquish.
The end of the first half proved decisive. The Pistons strung together a 7-0 run to head into halftime with their first double-digit lead (58-48), setting the physical and offensive tone of the game. During that stretch, Paul Reed contributed 18 points, Tobias Harris added 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Ausar Thompson chipped in 10 points to maintain collective balance.
New York tried to get back into it after the halftime break. A basket by Karl-Anthony Towns brought the Knicks within 62-60 early in the third quarter. But the response was immediate: Duncan Robinson hit two consecutive three-pointers and Detroit stretched the lead back to 13 points, closing the period with a solid 90-79.
The fourth quarter solidified the visitors' superiority. A putback by Daniss Jenkins put the score at 104-85 with 7:50 remaining, the game's largest lead at 19 points. Jalen Brunson tried to keep the Knicks alive and cut the deficit to 120-109 with a three-pointer with 1:33 left, but the New York squad could not get any closer.
Brunson finished with 30 points for New York, while Karl-Anthony Towns posted 21 points and 11 rebounds. Landry Shamet contributed 15 and Josh Hart 11 in a difficult night from beyond the arc for the Knicks, who shot 23% from three-point range (8 of 35).
Detroit played the game without Jalen Duren, their leading rebounder and second-leading scorer, and Isaiah Stewart, both serving suspensions for their involvement in an altercation against Charlotte on February 9. Even so, the team responded with authority.
With this victory, the Detroit Pistons strengthen their lead in the Eastern Conference and earn their third win in three matchups against the New York Knicks this NBA season.