Cade Cunningham had a statement performance on Monday night in the Game 2 matchup between the Detroit Pistons and the New York Knicks.
As the game was in the third quarter, the Pistons were looking to put together a run to gain a notable lead before reaching the fourth quarter.
Detroit got out into transition with a little over six minutes left to go in the third quarter. Cunningham put together a crafty sequence, which included a behind-the-back move to shake his primary defender before throwing down a one-handed slam with a block attempt happening in front of him.
After throwing down his dunk, Cunningham pointed to the crowd. In real-time, it was unclear who the point was for, but NBA fans on social media believe it was NBA legend, Carmelo Anthony, who got Cade’s attention after the viral play.
Looked like Cade just dunked it and pointed at Melo while he was in the middle of a sideline interview pic.twitter.com/RghlfnvFtT
— Steph Noh (@StephNoh) April 22, 2025
Anthony might’ve been one of the many former Knicks in the building at Madison Square Garden pulling for the home team, but he’s certainly no hater of Detroit.
Leading up to the start of the series, Anthony praised the Pistons and their physicality on his podcast ‘7 PM in Brooklyn.’
“You got a young team like Detroit, who has found their identity. They are taking on the persona of the Bad Boys of Detroit. If the Knicks can handle the physical part of the game, then we should be alright. “[The Pistons are more physical] by far. … They don’t mind fighting, they don’t mind getting dirty. They just don’t mind. … [The Knicks] got to be ready to crash out in a way.”
Melo & Spike know that the Knicks are in for a BATTLE with the Pistons to start the playoffs 😅
“If Knicks ain’t mentally tough … they could get surprised.” pic.twitter.com/sxMbpa1Sae
— 7PM in Brooklyn (@7PMinBrooklyn) April 17, 2025
The Knicks had a scare in Game 1, trailing by a notable amount while heading into the fourth quarter. However, a major run in the final 12 minutes allowed the Knicks to pick up a comfortable victory to take a 1-0 series lead in the end.
On Monday, Cunningham and the Pistons got their revenge. The one-time All-Star dropped 33 points, 12 rebounds, and three assists in 42 minutes of action. The Pistons defeated the Knicks 100-94 to tie the series 1-1 before both teams head to Detroit for Game 3 on Thursday.
