Pistons seize NBA’s top record on Cade Cunningham’s 42-point night at MSG
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The Detroit Pistons left Madison Square Garden with more than a road win Thursday; they departed with the NBA’s best record. Powered by Cade Cunningham’s 42 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds, Detroit beat the New York Knicks 126-111 and completed a season sweep of the series.
Despite playing without two suspended rotation big men, the Pistons controlled the game from the start. Cunningham shot 5-for-11 from beyond the arc, added two blocks on defense and dictated pace throughout the night. Afterward, the third-year guard embraced growing MVP chatter. “I think I am,” he told reporters when asked if he deserves the award. “And if you don’t agree with me, that’s your opinion.”
New York rotated multiple defenders—OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and, on late switches, Jeremy Sochan—but none slowed the former No. 1 overall pick. Meanwhile, the Knicks’ usually reliable perimeter shooting faltered; they finished 8-for-35 from three-point range and missed 15 consecutive attempts in the first half.
“This is just basketball for us—same temperament, same edge,” Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after his club improved to 41-13. Detroit now sits six games clear atop the Eastern Conference and owns one of the league’s best road records.
Veteran forward Tobias Harris summed up the locker-room mood. “He’s a winner,” Harris said of Cunningham. “He wants championships.” On the Garden floor Thursday, that ambition translated into another statement victory—and a firm grip on the league’s No. 1 record.
Source: Hoops Wire
