Cade Cunningham posted 24 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists as the Detroit Pistons held off the New York Knicks 106-103 on Tuesday night to force a Game 6 in their first-round playoff series.
Ausar Thompson added 22 points and Tobias Harris scored 17 for the Pistons, who extended their season and will now return to Detroit for Game 6 on Thursday. A win there would send the series back to Madison Square Garden for a decisive Game 7 on Saturday.
“Everybody’s got a back’s-against-the-wall type of mentality,” Harris said. “We don’t want this thing to stop.”
The Pistons, in their first postseason since 2019, improved to 2-1 at MSG in this series. Their Game 2 win had snapped a 15-game playoff losing streak — the longest in NBA history — and they’ve now staved off elimination again.
OG Anunoby led the Knicks with 19 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges each added 17. Jalen Brunson, who had averaged over 33 points in the first four games, struggled with 16 points on 4-for-16 shooting.
“We just put ourselves in a deficit early,” Towns said. “All series we’ve been fighting back.”
The game was tied at 95 before Jalen Duren hit back-to-back buckets and Cunningham added another for a six-point cushion. New York lost key possessions late when both Brunson and Josh Hart briefly exited with injuries with under three minutes left and couldn't re-enter until just 27 seconds remained.
Duren finished with nine points, 14 rebounds, and six assists as Detroit overcame its nine-game home playoff losing streak looming in Game 6.
“Confident,” Cunningham said. “We’ll be back.”
