Cade Cunningham felt his presence in his playoff matchup against the New York Knicks.
On April 21st, the Detroit Pistons tied their first-round playoff series with the New York Knicks in a game. While Jalen Brunson led all the scorers with 37 points, Cade Cunningham scored 33 points in his second playoff game and scored 12 rebounds.
Cunningham, the once proud face of the franchise, secured Detroit’s first postseason victory in 17 years.
The belief that pistons can disrupt the Knicks and advance to the second round is the best ever, as the series heads towards Motor City.
Piston still has a way to go before it’s considered a genuine final contender, but the blueprint is set. Cunningham is a superstar, young people Ron Holland and Orsarl Thompson provide defensive and athleticism, Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart protect the rim and act as enforcers, while Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Tobias Harris are all on the floor.
Detroit sent a message. They won’t go anywhere anytime soon. Cunningham is at the heart of it.
“He has it all,” praised Carmelo Anthony. “He’s one or two things, ‘good riddance’, 6 feet six, tall, big security guard. I see him getting down there at the post.
The Pistons have turned Detroit into a destination, and free agents are likely to be looking favorably at the franchise, showing even more improvements in the future. Detroit has a true identity and culture, and Cunningham is at the heart of it.
“He fits very seamlessly into what Detroit is going on, they can protect that team, physicality, athleticism, shooters, they can protect, you have a really good coaching staff, and you have got a cade that can lead now, that’s scary,” Anthony continued.
“I don’t like them beating my Knicks and going in and starting that game. They started the game.”
The Knicks entered the year with title hopes after adding OG Anunoby midway through last season, followed by Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns this summer.
Their 0-9 record against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder this season solidifies them in the second tier of candidates, and a first-round loss at the hands of the pistons would be nothing but embarrassing.
Meanwhile, Detroit was expected to win a total of 25.5 games this season. They only won 14 games last season, but fans would have been excited by the appearance of just a play-in.
Instead, the Pistons are a team that looks to advance with the sixth seed. Before the series began, Knicks fans joined social media with bold predictions, but Detroit’s loyal guy wasn’t in the frank. They were happy to be there.
Now it appears New York is struggling to pass the pistons. This simply adds fuel to the growing fires of Motor City.