Charles Barkley’s Jalen Brunson-Cade Cunningham take leaves Kenny Smith shocked
The Detroit Pistons ended a historic playoff skid Monday night at Madison Square Garden, grinding out a 100-94 win over the New York Knicks in Game 2. The victory snapped the franchise’s 15-game postseason losing streak, marking its first playoff win since May 26, 2008. Cade Cunningham took control with 33 points, powering Detroit to even the series at 1-1. Jalen Brunson was his usual self with a 37-point effort, but it wasn’t enough to lift the Knicks.
Charles Barkley weighed in on the Cade Cunningham–Jalen Brunson debate as the two star guards battled through another thrilling showdown.
Midway through Game 2 of the Knicks-Pistons first-round clash, the Inside the NBA analyst declared Cade Cunningham the better player.
Ernie Johnson asked if Cade Cunningham was the best player on the floor so far in the game, and Kenny Smith quickly agreed, saying he had been. Charles Barkley then added that, going into the series, Cunningham was the best player. Smith, surprised, asked if Cunningham had a better year than Jalen Brunson. Barkley confidently responded that he did. Smith was taken aback, expressing his surprise.
“He has been – best player in the series. Going into the series, he’s the best player… You know I like Brunson. That guy’s (Cunningham) the best player on the court in the series,” Barkley emphasized.
Cade Cunningham leading the Pistons over Jalen Brunson and the Knicks
David Reginek-Imagn Images
By halftime, Cunningham had taken control of the matchup, posting 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting along with 7 rebounds. Brunson kept the Knicks in it with a team-leading 17 points.
Brunson may have led all scorers, but Cunningham delivered the more complete performance. He racked up 33 points, 12 rebounds, and, most importantly, powered the Pistons to a series-tying win.
Barkley was right in pointing out that the Detroit guard had the stronger regular season. Cunningham averaged 26.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 9.1 assists per game—outpacing Brunson’s 26 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 7.3 assists in every key category.
Both guards have come out strong in the postseason. Over the first two games, Brunson has averaged 35.5 points and 7.5 assists per game, while Cade Cunningham has posted 27 points, 9 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per contest.
Detroit finished the game shooting 44.6% from the field, hitting just 6 of 27 from beyond the arc but converting 28 of 34 free throws. They outrebounded New York 48-39, recorded 7 steals, and committed 15 turnovers. Now, the Pistons return home with momentum and a real opportunity to seize control of the series.
The Knicks shot 42% from the field and just 28.6% from three, hitting only 10 of 35 attempts. They failed to capitalize inside and got little from their bench. Miles McBride scored 8 points, but the rest of the reserves went scoreless in limited minutes. Mitchell Robinson grabbed 7 rebounds but didn’t score, while Cameron Payne and Landry Shamet were invisible. The Knicks also committed 22 turnovers, a major factor in their Game 2 loss.
The Knicks-Pistons series has delivered on expectations, quickly emerging as one of the most thrilling and memorable first-round battles in recent years.
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