Cade Cunningham shines, powering the Pistons to a road victory over the Knicks
February 19, 2026 — Detroit pulled off a 126-111 win in New York behind a spectacular multi-faceted performance from Cade Cunningham, who piled up 42 points and 13 assists to carry the Pistons past the Knicks. It was a standout showing that helped Detroit extend its season series dominance, having defeated New York in all three head-to-head meetings so far.
Supporting cast contributions came from Paul Reed with 18 points, Tobias Harris posting a tidy 11 points and 10 rebounds in a robust all-around effort, and Ausar Thompson chipping in 10 points to bolster the Eastern Conference leaders. For New York, Jalen Brunson led the charge with 30 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 21 points and 11 boards.
Landry Shamet added 15 points and Josh Hart delivered 11 as the Knicks struggled from beyond the arc, finishing at a disappointing 23% (8-of-35) from three-point range.
The game started with New York grabbing an early 5-0 advantage, their largest of the night at 9-2. Detroit answered with a 21-8 run to claim the lead for good, and the Pistons closed the second quarter strong, riding a 7-0 spurt to take a 58-48 edge into halftime.
New York trimmed the gap to two early in the third, but Duncan Robinson sparked a decisive stretch with back-to-back three-pointers, and Detroit pushed the margin back to 13 points before heading to the fourth with a 90-79 lead.
The Pistons extended their cushion to a game-high 19 after Daniss Jenkins tipped in a miss with 7:50 remaining, making it 104-85. The Knicks kept themselves in the hunt, narrowing the gap to 120-109 on a Brunson three with 1:33 left, but they could not complete the comeback.
Detroit played without two of its regular frontcourt contributors: Jalen Duran, the team’s leading rebounder and second-leading scorer, and Isaiah Stewart, who averages 10 points. Both were suspended following a Feb. 9 brawl with Charlotte.
Upcoming schedule
- Pistons: at Chicago on Saturday.
- Knicks: host Houston on Saturday.
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