Pistons Stay Alive in East Playoffs as Cunningham Bedevils Knicks

Need to Know

• The Pistons beat the Knicks 106-103.
• New York leads the 1st-round series 3-2.
• Cade Cunningham scored 42 for Detroit.
• Fans called the Knicks "inept" and "atrocious."

The Details

The New York Knicks had a chance to bury the Detroit Pistons for good on Tuesday night, hosting Game 5 at Madison Square Garden. They weren't quite up to the task.

The plucky Pistons kept themselves alive for at least one more game, beating the Knicks 106-103 in yet another physical, back-and-forth battle that was close right to the final buzzer.

Cade Cunningham yet again did a little bit of everything for Detroit (42 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, two steals, one block), while Ausar Thompson was fantastic as well (22 points, seven boards).

It was a balanced performance from the Knicks, meanwhile, with six players scoring 13 or more points, led by OG Anunoby (19 points, eight rebounds), Jalen Brunson (16 points, seven assists, 4-of-16 from the field) and Karl-Anthony Towns (17 points, 11 boards).

But New York's inability to close out the Pistons—and earn some much-needed rest—frustrated fans and concerned pundits:

The Knicks are still in control of the series, of course, holding a 3-2 lead. But even that has come with a bit of luck—officials acknowledged after Sunday's Game 4 that they should have called a foul on Josh Hart at the buzzer after he clearly fouled Tim Hardaway's three-point attempt, which went uncalled on the floor. That would have given him three shots at the line, with the Pistons trailing 94-93, and likely would have resulted in a Detroit win.

Had that happened, it would have been the Knicks facing elimination during Thursday's Game 6 in Detroit. Regardless, this incredibly tight series will continue on, with a rowdy Pistons' crowd waiting for the Knicks in two days.