Detroit Pistons practically flawless in first rematch with N.Y. Knicks

In a battle between the two top teams in the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Pistons showed why they hold the top seed.

The Pistons dominated the New York Knicks at Little Caesars Arena, 121-90, on Monday, Jan. 5, to stretch their lead in the East to four games. The 31-point win is their biggest win of the season, topping their 27-point victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Dec. 12.

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Cade Cunningham led the way with 29 points and 13 assists for the Pistons (27-9) while Jaden Ivey scored 16 and Javonte Green added 17 off the bench. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks (23-13) with 25 points. The Pistons held the Knicks to just 36 points in the second half, and 42.1% shooting on the night. They also forced 20 turnovers, off which they scored 33 points.

JARRETT JACK: Cade Cunningham's secret weapon? The same guy Steph Curry credits

Detroit was without Tobias Harris (left hip sprain), Jalen Duren (right ankle sprain) and Caris LeVert (right knee tendinopathy). Isaiah Stewart and Paul Reed were the starting frontcourt for the second game in a row.

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After beating their closest competition in the Central Division on Sunday (Cleveland, by four points) and in the East on Monday, the Pistons get a slightly easier test, as the Chicago Bulls (17-18) come to Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday (7 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network).

Cade Cunningham outduels Jalen Brunson, dominates 3rd quarter

Brunson carried New York’s offense early, scoring 10 of the Knicks' first 15 points as the Pistons iced his teammates out of the offense. But Detroit had the early momentum, opening the game with an 11-3 run. Cunningham got going toward the end of the quarter, crossing over Kevin McCullar Jr. for a layup and knocking down a pull-up 3-pointer out of a ball screen the next possession. He and Brunson both finished the period with 12 points.

Cunningham tallied four assists in the second as his teammates took over on both ends. Nine Pistons scored in the period as they built a 10-point halftime lead, 64-54. They forced nine turnovers in the second, off which they scored 12 points. After halftime, Cunningham simply did it himself.

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The Pistons opened the third quarter with a 14-2 run to extend their lead to 22, and Cunningham scored or assisted every bucket. He opened the half with a 3-pointer, a pair of free throws and a midrange jumper, and then found Reed for an alley-oop before knocking down another 3-pointer.

He scored 15 points in the third period on 5-for-8 shooting, and the Pistons owned both ends of the floor to lead by 20 at the end of it, 89-69. Brunson led the Knicks with eight points in the quarter, but as a team, the Knicks made just five of 22 (22.7%). They were 2-for-15 from the floor before Brunson finally got on the board with a 4-point play at the 3:54 mark.

Javonte Green providing two-way spark off bench

The veteran forward is only averaging 19.1 minutes per game for the Pistons, but his presence has been felt every minute he logs. That certainly was true on Sunday, when he delivered 11 points and strong defense off of the bench during their 114-110 road win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. And it was true again on Monday, with Green delivering big plays on both ends as the Pistons pulled away with a decisive victory.

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Green helped lead a strong second-quarter effort by the Pistons' reserves, who scored 17 of Detroit's 34 points. He corralled a misplaced pass for an open dunk and then finished a transition layup off of a steal by Ausar Thompson, finishing the period with five points and two steals. He then delivered four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter as the Pistons pulled away, the third coming in transition midway through the period to push the lead to 108-82 following a block by Stewart.

He has played at least 24 minutes in four consecutive games, as the Pistons withstand injuries, and is stepping up with outside shooting in addition to his energetic presence on defense.

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Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on X @omarisankofa.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons knock down NY Knicks with bevy of 3-pointers