Pistons Star Has Sights Set on Knicks

The New York Knicks are the target of the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the playoffs.

New York Knicks guard Miles McBride defends against Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham during the second half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images | David Reginek-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks are set to face a hungry Detroit Pistons team in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The Pistons haven't been to the playoffs since 2019, where they were swept in the first round as a No. 8 seed. The same fate took place in 2016, and the team hasn't won a playoff game since 2016.

“It is special for us. We all feel great about what we’ve done this year. For the city, that’s the main thing is bringing playoff basketball back to Detroit. I think we all feel great about that. We’re super happy for the city and for the fan base,” Cunningham said h/t ClutchPoints writer Eric Vincent.

“We’re not satisfied at all. I’ve said it before, we’re still hungry. We want to go win this first round. So that’s where our focus is right now. And I think the energy in there has been amazing, but I still don’t think that’s going to compare to what the playoffs are going to be like. So, I’m excited to see that for sure.”

The Pistons are hoping that they can give the Knicks some trouble in their first playoff series as a group. Many expected Detroit's rebuild to last a lot longer after winning just 14 games last season, but after hiring head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, the Pistons were able to vault right back into the playoffs in his first season at the helm.

Cunningham has benefitted the most from the coaching change, and now he has the teammates in place to go out and be competitive against the Knicks in the team's first-round series.

Even though they may not be as experienced as the Knicks in the playoffs, New York cannot take the Cunningham and the Pistons lightly.

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