Seventeen years. Fifteen straight losses. A generation of Detroit basketball fans who had never seen a playoff win.
That ended Monday night.
The Pistons beat the New York Knicks 100–94 in Game 2 of their first-round series, snapping an NBA-record postseason losing streak that had defined the franchise’s modern identity. It was scrappy. It was emotional. And for Cade Cunningham, it was personal.
“It’s a great feeling. It feels good to represent the city like we did tonight,” Cunningham said after the game. “It’s something that the city been waiting on for a long time, so we feel good about it and we’re ready to get back to the crib and perform in front of them.”
via NBA.com
Cunningham finished with 33 points and 12 rebounds, the kind of all-around performance that elevated him beyond star status. On a night when the Knicks made multiple runs—including a 16-4 surge to tie it late—Cunningham remained steady. He was relentless getting downhill, punishing mismatches, and making winning plays every time New York threatened.
Cade’s Moment. Detroit’s Night.
It wasn’t just Cade, though.
Dennis Schroder, a February trade acquisition, hit the dagger—a go-ahead three with 55 seconds left that pushed Detroit back in front for good. He finished with 20 points off the bench, sealing the biggest Pistons win in nearly two decades.
The defense held the Knicks to just one made field goal in the first seven minutes of the third. Tobias Harris had timely buckets. Jalen Duren and Paul Reed controlled the glass. The Pistons looked—and played—like a team far removed from the 28-game losing streak that defined last season.
After the win, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff praised his team’s ability to stay focused amid the noise.
“We got bigger things we’re out here for,” Bickerstaff said . “So our focus, and that’s why our guys have been able to grow and be consistent, because they just think about the now and I thought they did a great job tonight of staying in the moment and doing what we needed to do.”
What It Means for Detroit
This wasn’t a fluke. The Pistons led by eight after three quarters in Game 1, too. They just didn’t finish the job. This time, they did—and they did it in Madison Square Garden.
Detroit now heads home with momentum and belief, knowing the ghosts of the last 6,000+ days can finally be laid to rest. Game 3 shifts to Detroit on Thursday, with the series tied 1–1.
And for the first time in a long time, Pistons fans have something more than hope.
They have a win.
Back in the D
Game 3 won’t just be about basketball. It’ll be a celebration. A sellout crowd will be waiting at Little Caesars Arena, ready to welcome back a team that finally gave them something to believe in. The last time Detroit hosted a playoff game, smartphones still had home buttons. Now, they return with a young core, a fearless leader in Cade, and a chance to turn this series upside down.
Because after 6,174 days, the Pistons aren’t just back in the playoffs.
They’re back in the fight.
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