Cade Cunningham recorded 29 points, 15 assists, and 10 rebounds to help the Detroit Pistons beat the New York Knicks 120-111 on Saturday.
Cunningham made 9 of 17 shots and 5 of 8 from three-point range. Malik Beasley scored 23 points off the bench, hitting 7 of 10 three-pointers. Jaden Ivey contributed 16 points, and Tobias Harris added 13 points for Detroit, which broke a three-game losing streak. The Pistons also ended a 16-game losing streak against the Knicks.
The Knicks were missing their top scorer, Karl-Anthony Towns, who was out with a knee injury. Jalen Brunson led New York with 31 points and 10 assists, while Mikal Bridges scored 20 points. Josh Hart and OG Anunoby each finished with 17 points.
Hart was ejected after getting his second technical foul with just over a minute left in the game. This loss ended the Knicks’ four-game winning streak.
Detroit started the fourth quarter with a 14-4 run, including a three-pointer by Beasley, to push their lead to 103-89 with 7:55 left. The Pistons continued to extend their lead, going up 107-91 after Jalen Duren’s dunk at 6:38.
Brunson made a floater to bring the Knicks within 118-111 with 1:22 left, but New York couldn’t score after that. The Pistons shot 70.6 percent from the field in the fourth quarter, making all five of their three-point attempts.
Detroit began the game with a 10-2 run and extended their lead to 16 points, finishing the first quarter with a 39-23 lead. They hit 13 of 23 three-pointers in the first half. Cunningham made 5 of 7 from beyond the arc before halftime and scored 21 points on 7 of 11 shooting, helping Detroit lead by 11 at halftime.
The Knicks made a 13-3 run in the third quarter to cut their deficit to 78-71 after back-to-back baskets by Anunoby. The Pistons increased their lead to 89-77 after Beasley’s free throw, but New York finished the quarter on an 8-0 run to close the gap to 89-85 as they entered the fourth.
