Pistons Edge Knicks in Thrilling Game 5, Stay Alive in Series

NEW YORK — Cade Cunningham scored 24 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and dished out eight assists as the Detroit Pistons edged the New York Knicks 106-103 on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, staving off elimination in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series. The victory narrows the Knicks’ series lead to 3-2 and sends the matchup back to Detroit for Game 6 on Thursday.​

The Pistons, who transformed from a 14-win team last season to a 44-38 playoff squad, showcased resilience and cohesion. Ausar Thompson contributed 22 points and seven rebounds, while Tobias Harris added 17 points and eight boards. Jalen Duren’s presence was felt with nine points, 14 rebounds, and six assists.​

“Everybody’s got a back’s-against-the-wall type of mentality, but the group really loves being around each other and I think that was one of the biggest things,” Harris said. “Like, we don’t want this thing to stop. Like, we’ve got to keep on fighting.” ​

The game was tied at 95 before Duren made consecutive baskets and Cunningham added a score, giving Detroit a six-point lead. The Knicks’ comeback efforts were hampered when Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart exited with injuries with under three minutes remaining. Though both were ready to return shortly after, head coach Tom Thibodeau chose not to use his final timeout, allowing the Pistons to maintain their momentum. ​

“It’s just where we were with our timeouts—it was a coach’s decision,” Thibodeau explained postgame. “Time. Score. Penalty. All of the above. There’s a lot that goes into it.”

OG Anunoby led the Knicks with 19 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges each added 17. Brunson, who had been averaging 33.3 points in the series, was held to 16 points on 4-of-16 shooting. The Knicks also struggled from the free-throw line, missing 11 of 27 attempts. ​

“We just put ourselves in a deficit early,” Towns said. “All series we’ve been fighting back.”

The Pistons, having lost an NBA record-tying nine straight home playoff games since 2008, will look to capitalize on their home court in Game 6. A win would force a decisive Game 7 back at Madison Square Garden.​

“Confident,” Cunningham said. “We’ll be back.”

Game 6 is scheduled for Thursday at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.