There were no fireworks. No dancing mascots. No confetti showers. Just Cade Cunningham holding the game ball with a half-smile and a city exhaling after nearly two decades of silence. On Monday night, the Detroit Pistons snapped a 15-game playoff losing streak — the longest in NBA history — and finally gave their fans something more than heartbreak.
The 100-94 victory over the New York Knicks didn’t just level the series. It erased 17 years of futility, frustration, and fading relevance. For Cunningham, the 33-point hero of the night, it wasn’t about personal glory. It was about Detroit — and the people who never stopped watching, even when the Pistons lost 28 straight just a season ago.
Cade’s City
Cunningham didn’t need to say it twice — this was for Detroit.
He attacked relentlessly, scored inside and out, grabbed 12 rebounds, and reminded the Knicks that Game 1’s struggles were an aberration. His 33-point effort on the biggest stage of his young career wasn’t just timely; it was symbolic.
The All-Star guard, who went 8-for-21 in Game 1, punished New York defenders in the paint and at the line. Detroit shot 14 free throws in the first half alone. The Knicks? Just two.
“It’s something that the city been waiting on for a long time,” Cunningham said postgame, eyes still locked in. “We feel good about it and we’re ready to get back to the crib and perform in front of them.”
Schröder’s Moment, Knicks’ Collapse
The Knicks had clawed all the way back. Josh Hart’s thunderous dunk tied it at 94 with under a minute to play, capping a furious 16-4 run.
Then, Dennis Schröder stepped into the spotlight.
The trade deadline acquisition from Brooklyn calmly drilled a three-pointer with 55 seconds remaining — the dagger. He finished with 20 points off the bench, none more important than that single shot.
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau could only watch as the rhythm evaporated again. Game 1’s fourth-quarter magic was gone. The Garden went quiet.
Jalen Brunson dropped 37, but Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby, who had 23 each in the opener, were non-factors with just 10 apiece. A missed opportunity? Absolutely.
From 28 Straight Ls to a Playoff W
The Pistons’ transformation isn’t subtle — it’s seismic.
-
2023-24 record: 14-68, including a 28-game losing streak (worst ever in a single season)
-
2024-25 record: 44-38, playoff berth clinched
-
Game 1: blew an 8-point 3Q lead, lost 123-112 after 21-0 Knicks run
-
Game 2: another 8-point 3Q lead — held this one, won 100-94
Coach J.B. Bickerstaff called it a mindset shift. “Our guys have been able to grow and be consistent,” he said. “They just think about the now.”
It’s not a fluke. It’s a franchise trying to breathe again.
No Parades Yet, But Hope’s Real
There was no over-the-top celebration postgame. No champagne in the locker room. No viral TikToks.
Just relief.
The Pistons haven’t won a playoff series since 2008. They’ve been swept three times since. They weren’t even in the playoffs after 2019 until this season.
Cunningham and his squad don’t want this to be a footnote. They want more. Game 3 at home on Thursday will tell whether that hunger sticks.
What’s Next in the Series
Game 3 heads to Detroit — a place that hasn’t hosted a meaningful playoff game in six years.
Jalen Brunson knows the Knicks have no margin for error. “And now it’s on us to respond,” he said. He’ll need help. Towns and Anunoby can’t be ghosts again.
Meanwhile, Detroit is riding a confidence wave. Schröder is heating up. Isaiah Stewart and Jaden Ivey are giving key minutes. The crowd at Little Caesars Arena? Probably won’t sit down for the entire night.
The pressure shifts. The Pistons already stole one. And for the first time in a generation, they believe they can steal more.
