Former Cowboy's Strong Second Half Keeps Pistons' Season Alive
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A former Cowboy was on the brink of elimination but kept his season alive.
On Tuesday night, Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons were facing elimination as they went into Madison Square Garden. Trailing the New York Knicks 3-1 in their first-round series, the Pistons were in a win-or-go-home situation.
In Game 5, Cunningham had some struggles early but turned it on in the second half when his team needed him most. He finished the evening with 24 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
Most of Cunningham’s scoring production came after halftime, as he scored 20 of his 24 points in the final 24 minutes. Cunningham also came away with a couple of steals and a block, showing his defensive prowess as a 6-foot-6 point guard.
After winning Game 5, the series shifts back to Detroit, where Cunningham will try to deliver a signature performance in front of his home fans. If his Pistons can get a win on Thursday, that will set up a winner-take-all Game 7 back in New York.
Cunningham has been the driving force for the Pistons throughout the season, and he has led them back to the playoffs for the first time since 2019. When the Pistons drafted Cunningham in 2021, there was no doubt they visualized having a franchise player who could step up in pivotal moments in the postseason.
In the first three years of his career, Cunningham was a great player but had little to no help around him. From poor roster construction to bad coaching, the former Cowboy was consistently put in a tough spot.
Coming into this season, Detroit hired a new coach and brought in some more experienced players to help the team make a postseason run. Clearly, those additions have worked for the team, as Cunningham is now leading a playoff team that was a trendy pick to upset the Knicks in the first round.
After falling into a 3-1 hole, it looked bleak for the Pistons, especially after losing Game 4 in a controversial ending. Yet, OSU’s best NBA player is still playing and looking to make history and become one of the few to lead his team to a 3-1 comeback.
Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.