Cade Cunningham pours in 42 as Pistons hand Knicks another damaging loss
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Detroit guard Cade Cunningham erupted for 42 points on Feb. 19, powering the Pistons past the New York Knicks and further dimming New York’s hopes of securing the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed.
The game marked the second time this season the Pistons have defeated the Knicks, again exploiting New York’s defense while Cunningham attacked from all over the floor. The third-year guard hit from long range, got to the rim at will and controlled the pace throughout the night.
New York’s offense never found a rhythm, and the visitors trailed for most of the contest. Each attempt at a rally was quickly answered by Cunningham, whose scoring output was the highest by any Pistons player this season.
The loss, coming less than two months before the playoffs, leaves the Knicks facing an even steeper climb in their pursuit of the conference’s top spot. New York has dropped valuable games against sub-.500 opponents in recent weeks, and another defeat to Detroit tightened the race above them in the standings.
Detroit, already out of postseason contention, used the matchup to showcase its young core. Alongside Cunningham’s career night, the Pistons received timely contributions from their supporting cast, keeping the Knicks at bay whenever the score threatened to narrow.
New York returns to action later this week looking to halt its slide, while Detroit will aim to build on one of its most impressive victories of the season.
Source: New York Post
