Jalen Brunson Admits Knicks Had No Answer for Cade Cunningham

The Detroit Pistons were missing two starters, so how did Cade Cunningham still put up 42 and make it look easy against the New York Knicks?

Feb 26, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) brings the ball up court against New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Jalen Brunson put up 33 points on 12-of-20 shooting on February 19 against the Detroit Pistons. On most nights, that wins you the game. But Cade Cunningham had 42 points, 13 assists, and a complete takeover at Madison Square Garden that the New York Knicks had no answer for.

Per a video shared by the SNY Knicks account on X, Brunson was asked after the game whether Cunningham's performance came down to a scheme problem or an execution failure. He kept it simple.

"Cade's a great player. Obviously, we scouted against him. He's obviously a priority. But great players have big games. And we didn't slow him down fast enough. Or even at all," Brunson said.

"We didn't slow him down fast enough, or even at all"

Jalen Brunson is asked if Cade Cunningham's dominant performance was due to a scheme issue or a lack of execution: pic.twitter.com/5qUGL9X02D

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) February 20, 2026

Cunningham finished 17-of-34 from the field, 5-of-11 from three, and added 8 rebounds. The Pistons won 126-111, and it was not particularly close.

What made it sting even more was context. Detroit played without Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart, both suspended. The Knicks had their full rotation back, including OG Anunoby returning from a toe injury.

This was the best shot New York had all season to get one over the East's best team. They still lost by 15.

It was also the third time Detroit beat New York this season. Back on February 6, the Knicks were without Karl-Anthony Towns and got blown out 118-80, with Brunson held to just 12 points while Cunningham ran the show. That loss had an excuse. This one did not.

Detroit's defense, ranked second in the league, has had Brunson figured out across all three matchups, and that is becoming a real concern for a team already struggling to create enough offense around their star guard.

Why Cade Cunningham's Pick-and-Roll Keeps Carving Up the Knicks

Head coach Mike Brown spelled it out plainly after the game, per reporter James L. Edwards III on X.

"We don't want him to get to the middle of the floor and he got to the middle of the floor." He said, adding that the team was not defending the pick-and-roll well enough as a unit.

That is Cunningham's entire game. He is averaging 25.7 points and 9.7 assists per game this season. When he gets downhill, he controls everything: score, kick it out, or find the roller. The Knicks knew what was coming. They just could not stop it for 38 minutes straight.

Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Landry Shamet added 15 points off the bench. But the team shot just 23% from three, and any defensive momentum they built early vanished quickly. These are the kinds of nights that feed into the broader concern about where this team is heading with the playoffs approaching fast.

Three losses to Detroit this season, each more convincing than the last. Until Mike Brown finds a real answer, these matchups are going to keep looking exactly like this one did.

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