DETROIT (AP) — Cade Cunningham led an unprecedented turnaround in NBA history, lifting the Detroit Pistons to relevance after the three-time championship franchise lost its luster.
Cunningham had an All-NBA caliber season, joining elite company with Oscar Robertson, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic and LeBron James.
Detroit's point guard and those all-time greats are the seven players in NBA history to average at least 25 points, nine assists and six rebounds in a season.
Cunningham's breakout season helped Detroit become the league's first team to triple its number of wins from the previous full season.
He didn't do it alone.
Jalen Duren's third season was his best and a trio of newly acquired veterans made an impact on and off the court for a team that had the NBA's worst record the previous two seasons.
When the sixth-seeded and inconsistent Pistons host third-seeded New York on Sunday in Game 4, they need Cunningham to shine and his supporting cast to make shots and stops.
Cunningham is learning a lot in his NBA playoffs debut and his team is, too, in its first postseason appearance since 2019 because every possession matters and little mistakes lead to losing.
“All these things are making us a better team and I think it’s going to make us better to go win this series,” Cunningham said.
Detroit has dropped eight home playoff games in a row since 2008, pulling within one of an NBA record set by Philadelphia from 1968 to 1971.
If the Pistons lose a second straight matchup, they will tie a league mark and be on the brink of elimination going into Game 5 in New York on Tuesday night
The Knicks are expecting Detroit's best punch.
“They’re going to come out with physicality and aggression,” Knicks guard Josh Hart told reporters Saturday.
In the only game Detroit won against New York, Cunningham was a star with 33 points on 11-of-21 shooting and 12 rebounds.
In Games 1 and 3, both won by the Knicks, Cunningham was not at his best and his inconsistent teammates didn't pick up the slack.
Cunningham had 21 points, missing 13 of 21 attempts, and 12 assists in the opener.
In Game 3, he joined James, Westbrook and Rick Barry as the four players in NBA playoffs history to have at least 24 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds, four steals and two blocks in a game.
Cunningham, though, also missed 15 of 25 shots and had six turnovers in the potentially, pivotal game.
OG Anunoby had something to do with that.
The 6-foot-7, 232-pound Anunoby, in his eighth NBA season and first full years with the Knicks, used his strength and quickness to challenge Cunningham.
Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff is confident Cunningham will find a way to make winning plays in Game 4.
“We’ve seen Cade be able to get where he wants to get to and do what he needs to do,” Bickerstaff said said. “Give (Anunoby) respect because he’s earned it, but I still like Cade’s chances.”
To improve Detroit's shot to even the series, Cunningham's teammates have to take advantage of the space he creates by making open shots.
While veteran guard Tim Hardaway Jr. made a career-playoff high seven 3-pointers and matched a Pistons record, a usually dependable teammate struggled in Game 3.
Malik Beasley connected on six 3-pointers in the opener and made a franchise-record 319 3-pointers during the regular season, ranking second in the league, but was 2 of 10 beyond the arc Thursday night.
Tobias Harris scored a total of 40 points in the two games at Madison Square Garden, then was held to just five points at Little Caesars Arena.
The Knicks, meanwhile, had one of their most balanced offensive postseason performances in more than a half-century.
Karl-Anthony Towns scored 31 points, Jalen Brunson had 30 points, Anunoby scored 22 and Mikal Bridges had 20 points.
The last time New York had four players score 20-plus points in a playoff game, Hall of Famers Walt Frazier, Jerry Lucas, Dave DeBusschere and Bill Bradley pulled off the feat in 1972.
“What hurt us in this last game was more our defense than anything we did offensively,” Bickerstaff said.
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Larry Lage, The Associated Press
