Cade Cunningham Making No Excuses for Pistons After Loss vs Knicks

Controversial no-call or not--Cade Cunningham believes the Detroit Pistons should've been better.

Apr 24, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) is defended by New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges (25) in the second half during game three of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons thought for a moment they would get the ball back with under 10 seconds left to go while trailing in a one-possession game after what looked like a backcourt violation from New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson.

Instead, they were forced to foul, putting Brunson on the line for free throws.

After the game, Pistons head coach JB Bickerstaff was searching for answers.

“If you catch the ball, have possession, and put it down, to me, that’s possession in the front court,” Bickerstaff told reporters. “The ball has to be thrown into the backcourt. If you catch it in the frontcourt, the ball is not in the backcourt. Again, maybe I’m wrong, but we’ll see.”

Pistons guard Cade Cunningham had a similar comment.

“I mean, I think if you catch the ball in the frontcourt and you cross the line, I thought that was backcourt. Maybe I’m wrong. It always has been my life,” said the All-Star. “And I thought the time on the clock, I thought we could check that. It was decided not to check it.”

The Pistons ended up getting the ball back after grabbing a rebound following a Brunson miss, but they failed to take advantage. While the violation would’ve been a major help for Detroit, Cunningham made it clear that the controversial sequence didn’t lose them the game.

Asked Cade Cunningham his thoughts on the officiating down the stretch in Game 3:

“If you catch the ball in the frontcourt and you cross the line, I thought that was backcourt. … I thought the time on the clock, I thought we could check that. It was decided not to.” pic.twitter.com/14aAL9bLSj

— Hunter Patterson (@HuntPatterson_) April 25, 2025

“Those didn’t decide the game, though, at all,” Cunningham stated. “I’m not harping on those two moments. A lot of plays in the first quarter, that run. It’s just a lot of plays throughout the game with small plays that were biting us. Just going to go back, watch the film, and talk about it. We’ll figure it out together.”

The Pistons couldn’t keep up with New York’s quick start out of the gate. While they managed to flip the script for a moment, a hot New York run before the half was once again too much for Detroit. Throughout the second half, the Pistons played from behind.

In the end, the Knicks came out on top with a Game 3 victory. Winning 118-116, the Knicks took a 2-1 lead ahead of Sunday’s game, which will take place in Detroit before the series heads back to New York.