The Detroit Pistons wrapped up their season sweep against the New York Knicks after a 126-111 blowout win at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night.
This was the first and only regular-season matchup between the two teams at MSG, a historic arena that regularly serves as a national stage to crown young breakout players. Two-time All-Star Cade Cunningham took advantage of that platform and put up a career performance to anchor the Pistons' victory.
New York could not stop Cunningham, as he finished his night with 42 points, 13 assists, eight rebounds, and two blocks. Cunningham has looked dominant against the Knicks all season, averaging 27.3 points and 11 assists per game in the three games against New York. Pistons' head coach J.B. Bickerstaff doubled down on his point guard's emergence with a co-sign for Cunningham as the league MVP.
“He's been that all year long. I don't think you pick an MVP based on just one game or one statement. He's been this way for the entire season. He's dominated both ends of the floor and impacted winning in a major way,” Bickerstaff explained during the postgame press conference. “This is just another night of him being the same and doing the same he's done night in and night out for us. Credit to him, credit to his work, credit to his conditioning, his will to want to win, his ability to be a great teammate and lead. That's who he has been all season.”
Even Cunningham believes he is worthy of the regular-season award. When asked about his MVP case, he did not run from his true feelings by delivering a short explanation.
“I think I am (MVP). And if you don't agree with me, that's your opinion,” Cunningham exclaimed to ESPN.
Pistons continue to dominate the Knicks
This continues to be one of the most anticipated matchups in the league. Last year's first-round battle served as one of the best postseason battles of the spring. The Pistons have not been shy on the motivation of that first-round loss when facing off against the Knicks.
Detroit maintained clear momentum against the Knicks for much of the night. New York only led for a brief moment in the first half before the Pistons found their groove on both ends of the floor and never looked back.
The Pistons' lead grew as big as 19 points in the second half. They did a solid job of responding to runs made by New York by forcing timely turnovers and converting offensively.
This blowout was done with another shorthanded Pistons roster, as centers Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart were out serving suspensions due to their fight against the Charlotte Hornets. Duren will be available next game Saturday as his two-game suspension is now done. Stewart still has five games left of his seven game suspension.
Backup center Paul Reed had another impactful performance for the Pistons, scoring 18 points and grabbing seven rebounds in 29 minutes. Forward Tobias Harris added a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds. The Pistons' bench unit made their presence felt as well, scoring 36 points to help aid the victory.
