NEW YORK (AP) — Cade Cunningham scored 36 points, Malik Beasley had 22 and a pair of clutch 3-pointers in the final 40 seconds and the surging Detroit Pistons beat New York 124-119 on Monday night, their second straight victory over the Knicks after dropping the previous 16 meetings.
Cunningham's brilliant play helped the Pistons nurse a small lead for much of the second half, but the Knicks forced the ball out of his hands on two late possessions. Both times the Pistons were able to swing it around to an open Beasley, who made the first for a 121-117 lead and the second to put them up five with 6.3 seconds to go.
Beasley was 6 for 8 behind the arc as the Pistons (21-19) won for the 10th time in 12 games.
Jalen Brunson had 31 points and 11 assists for the Knicks, not appearing bothered by the shoulder injury he sustained while scoring 44 points Sunday in a win over Milwaukee. Mikal Bridges added 27 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 26 points and 12 rebounds despite frequently grabbing his right thumb in pain after getting hit on a drive in the first half.
Takeaways
Pistons: The Pistons sent an email document Monday touting Cunningham's candidacy for the All-Star Game, and the way he is playing and they are winning, his selection seems warranted.
Knicks: They had plenty enough offense while shooting 50% from the field and 40% behind the arc, but neither Bridges, OG Anunoby nor anyone else had much success stopping Cunningham.
Key moment
Cunningham started the second half after picking up four fouls in the first half, and had Detroit's first 11 points and 18 in the third quarter as the Pistons outscored the Knicks 36-27.
Key stat
Beasley went 13 for 18 behind the arc in Detroit's two victories in New York this season.
Up next
The Knicks visit Philadelphia on Wednesday and the Pistons host Indiana on Thursday.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Brian Mahoney, The Associated Press
