The Detroit Pistons returned to winning form by pulling off a 120-111 victory against the New York Knicks on Saturday night. The victory snaps a 16-game Pistons losing streak against the Knicks, dating back to December 2019. Detroit was able to lean on another historic performance by franchise point guard Cade Cunningham on the way to their 10th win of the season.
Cunningham recorded his fifth triple-double of the season, scoring 29 points, dishing out a career-high 15 assists, and grabbing 10 rebounds. His dominant scoring came efficiently, knocking down 9-of-17 shots from the field and going 5-of-8 from three. The star-studded night for Cunningham was the first triple-double by a Piston at Madison Square Garden since 1968.
The Pistons have relied on Cunningham as a leader for this young franchise. He spoke on the team's approach after losing three consecutive games prior to Saturday.
“Just be dogs, let's come in here and go take a game. Don't expect anything to be given to us,” Cunningham stated in the postgame media session. “Don't play soft, we're going to go take a game. Go take a win. That's exactly what we did.”
Cunningham came into the matchup third in assists among the NBA, averaging 9.1 per game. Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff complimented his effort when addressing the media after the game.
“I thought he did a great job. He started the game with 21 points at half, almost a triple-double. He set the tone for the game,” Bickerstaff explained. “Defensively, we asked him to guard (Jalen) Brunson and I think he did a really good job keeping him in front of him and containing him. He played a complete game tonight and I was proud of his effort.”
Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley (5) celebrates Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, during a game between the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Pistons defeated the Pacers, 130-106.
Mandatory Credit: Grace Smith/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images
Shooting guard Malik Beasley also shined at Madison Square Garden by scoring 23 points off the bench. The 28-year-old reserve went 7-of-13 from the field and 7-of-10 from deep. Beasley played a major part in cooling off runs by the Knicks when they tried to turn momentum around.
Beasley has been one of the most dangerous three-point shooters all season. He came into the contest ranking third in the NBA with 85 three-pointers made. Beasley has easily been one of the most important offseason acquisitions for the Pistons as a reliable floor spacer who can get hot from deep at any point.
Bickerstaff has been able to utilize Beasley as a starter or a backup for Detroit. He regularly provides a major boost for the bench scoring as the go-to sixth man.
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The Pistons got much-needed scoring assistance from other key contributors through the roster. Combo guard Jaden Ivey had a useful game by scoring 16 points in 28 minutes. Veteran forward Tobias Harris scored 13 points and grabbed nine rebounds to help secure the win.
Inactive game for Ausar Thompson
Detroit had to go through the victory against New York without forward Ausar Thompson due to an injury. The Pistons ruled Thompson out as he is nursing a groin injury. Bickerstaff did not expound on the injury or his timeline to return.
The Pistons have played 20 games without their premier defender. Thompson spent a lot of the season's start recovering and getting his conditioning together due to blood clots.