NEW YORK — Cade Cunningham was 6 years old the last time the Detroit Pistons had won a playoff game entering Monday night’s game against the New York Knicks. Dennis Schröder was 14.
It was May 26, 2008, when Antonio McDyess led the Pistons past the eventual 2008 champions, the Boston Celtics. McDyess’ 21 points and 16 rebounds were both game highs.
Roughly 17 years later, Cunningham notched his own 33-point, 12-rebound double-double to lead Detroit to a 100-94 win over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference playoff series on Monday. Cunningham notched 20 of his 33 during the first half to go along with three assists and two steals. Schröder added 20 points off the bench and made timely shots during the fourth quarter.
The biggest developments in Monday’s win for Detroit, other than evening the series at 1-1, was Cunningham recalibrating offensively and Schröder showing why the Pistons’ front office acquired him at the trade deadline. Schröder was the sidekick Cunningham needed to help Detroit snap an NBA-record 15-game postseason skid.
The duo combined to be just what the Pistons needed down the stretch. Schröder, the veteran journeyman on his third team this season, was who Detroit had been searching for after Jaden Ivey went down on Jan. 1. And if Schröder continues playing at this level, he gives the Pistons a chance to make this series daunting for New York.
“The ultimate trust,” Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff said when asked about his comfort level with Schröder in late-game situations. “Dennis, obviously, (it was) the shots that he made, but his ability to allow Cade to get to different spots and then feed Cade. We can play off that.”
Schröder made 6 of 10 from the field and 3 of 5 from 3-point range. He also had three assists and two rebounds. And while he makes Cunningham’s life easier with his playmaking abilities, Schröder’s biggest fourth-quarter asset on Monday was his scoring. Schröder scored nine of his 20 points in the final frame.
Each of Schröder’s points, whether from the field or the free-throw line, seemed to come in a timely fashion. His first field goal was a triple that extended the Pistons’ lead to 80-71 with 9:55 remaining in the game. Schröder later got to the line and connected on two free-throw attempts to give Detroit a 12-point cushion with 6:29 left.
Schröder’s most meaningful make, arguably in his Pistons tenure, came when he broke a tie at 94 with a 3-pointer over Jalen Brunson with 52.2 seconds remaining.
Dennis The Menace pic.twitter.com/HXzNVayEfa
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) April 22, 2025
“From my standpoint,” Jalen Duren said of Schröder, “I think he helps Cade kind of play off the ball more. (He) kind of just takes pressure off him, especially in clutch moments. DS (Schröder) is another guy who can make plays and who we trust with the ball in his hands.”
Duren had an improved Game 2 himself, chipping in 12 points on 3-of-4 shooting from the field. Duren also had 13 rebounds, three blocks, two assists and a steal.
As for Cunningham, who notched 21 points on 21 shots during his postseason debut Saturday, he was the best player on the floor Monday. He once again looked like the All-Star version of himself that averaged 32.5 points on 52.3 percent shooting at Madison Square Garden during the regular season.
Cunningham said his off day on Sunday consisted of him staying off his feet, getting treatment and watching film, “trying to figure out what went right and what went wrong.”
“At the end of the day I trust our system, I trust the guys,” he said. “We knew that we dropped (Game 1), so it was just about coming out (Monday), being aggressive and trying to out-dog them.”
Cunningham did most of his damage during the first 24 minutes, particularly in the second quarter. He scored 12 of his 33 points in the period, made 3 of 5 from the field, and drew a pair of fouls on OG Anunoby and another on Josh Hart to take six free throws, making five.
Scoring looked much less difficult for Cunningham. He bounced back in a game Detroit needed to steal home-court advantage.
“He was elite. He is a superstar, and he played the game (Monday) as a superstar,” Bickerstaff said of his franchise player. “He did what he needed to do to help this team win. He understood how aggressive he needed to be on the offensive end of the floor. He was going to go out, and he was going to be aggressive.
“He also understood how important finishing possessions was, and he had 11 defensive rebounds. That’s knowing and understanding how to manipulate the game, but how to make winning plays whenever your team needs them in the moment.”
Detroit focus now shifts to Game 3. It’ll be the first postseason home game at Little Caesars Arena since 2019, but it’ll also be the first playoff game for Cunningham in front of his home crowd.
He seemed eager to experience postseason basketball in Detroit.
“It’s a great feeling, man. It feels good to represent the city,” Cunningham said. “(This is) something that this city has been waiting on for a long time, and we feel good about it. We’re going to go back to the crib and perform in front of them.”
(Photo: Brad Penner / Imagn Images)
