Detroit Pistons vs New York Knicks match player stats told a one-sided story on February 19, 2026 — and Cade Cunningham was the headliner nobody in New York wanted to see.
Final score: Detroit Pistons 126, New York Knicks 111. And honestly, it was not that close.
Cunningham went absolutely nuclear with 42 points and 13 assists — one of the best all-around individual performances in the NBA this season. The Pistons led wire-to-wire, went up by as many as 19, and never once let the Knicks smell a comeback. For a Knicks team sitting in playoff position, this was a gut punch from a Detroit squad that keeps proving it belongs in the conversation.
Table of contents
- Quick Game Snapshot
- Detroit Pistons Player Stats
- New York Knicks Player Stats
- Head-to-Head Comparison
- Cade Cunningham Was Operating on a Different Level
- Paul Reed Was Unstoppable Inside
- What Went Wrong for the Knicks
- Game Context: Where Both Teams Stand
- Player Efficiency Comparison
- Shooting Zone Breakdown
- Final Analysis: What This Game Tells Us
Quick Game Snapshot
Detroit Pistons 126 — New York Knicks 111 Date: February 19, 2026 Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York Quarter Scores:
| Quarter | Knicks | Pistons |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 26 | 28 |
| Q2 | 22 | 30 |
| Q3 | 31 | 32 |
| Q4 | 32 | 36 |
| Total | 111 | 126 |
Detroit built the lead in Q2, never gave it back, and closed the game stronger than New York could answer.
Detroit Pistons Player Stats
This is where the real story lives. Cade Cunningham was on another level, but the Pistons got serious contributions up and down the lineup.
Pistons Individual Box Score
| Player | POS | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG | 3PT | FT | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cade Cunningham | G | 42 | 8 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 17/34 | 5/11 | 3/3 | +12 |
| Paul Reed | C | 18 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7/9 | 0/1 | 4/4 | +14 |
| Ausar Thompson | F | 10 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 4/8 | 0/0 | 2/2 | +10 |
| Javonte Green | G | 9 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2/4 | 1/3 | 4/5 | +4 |
| Daniss Jenkins | G | 8 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3/4 | 0/0 | 2/2 | +5 |
| Caris LeVert | G | 8 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3/6 | 2/3 | 0/0 | +10 |
| Ronald Holland II | F | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3/3 | 1/1 | 0/0 | -1 |
| Tolu Smith | F | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2/3 | 0/0 | 0/0 | +1 |
Pistons Advanced Stats
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Field Goal % | 51.6% |
| 3-Point % | 43.3% |
| Free Throw % | 85.0% |
| Total Rebounds | 53 |
| Total Assists | 30 |
| Points in Paint | 58 |
| Fast Break Points | 18 |
| Second Chance Points | 19 |
| Bench Points | 36 |
| Effective FG% | 58.6% |
| True Shooting % | 61.9% |
| Offensive Rating | 119.1 |
| Defensive Rating | 110.6 |
| Biggest Lead | +19 |
The 43.3% from three is what jumps out. Detroit was not just attacking the paint — they were punishing New York from every zone on the floor.
New York Knicks Player Stats
Jalen Brunson kept it real with 33 points and fought hard, but the rest of the Knicks could not hold up their end. KAT had a decent night with 21 and 11, but this game was lost in the trenches, not on the stat sheet.
Knicks Individual Box Score
| Player | POS | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG | 3PT | FT | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jalen Brunson | G | 33 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 12/20 | 3/7 | 6/6 | -9 |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | C | 21 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 7/14 | 1/4 | 6/6 | 0 |
| Landry Shamet | G | 15 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4/10 | 3/8 | 4/6 | -13 |
| Josh Hart | F | 11 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5/8 | 0/0 | 1/2 | -13 |
| OG Anunoby | F | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3/13 | 1/8 | 1/2 | +1 |
| Mitchell Robinson | C-F | 7 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2/4 | 0/0 | 3/6 | -15 |
| Jeremy Sochan | F | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1/1 | 0/0 | 0/0 | -2 |
| Mohamed Diawara | F | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | -6 |
Knicks Advanced Stats
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Field Goal % | 47.1% |
| 3-Point % | 22.9% |
| Free Throw % | 75.0% |
| Total Rebounds | 48 |
| Total Assists | 24 |
| Points in Paint | 56 |
| Fast Break Points | 16 |
| Second Chance Points | 9 |
| Bench Points | 30 |
| Effective FG% | 51.7% |
| True Shooting % | 55.9% |
| Offensive Rating | 110.6 |
| Defensive Rating | 119.1 |
| Biggest Lead | +7 |
That 22.9% from three is brutal. The Knicks went 8 for 35 from beyond the arc — that is where this game was lost just as much as anywhere else.
Head-to-Head Comparison
Side by side, this game was not as close as 15 points suggests. Detroit was better in almost every area that matters.
| Category | Pistons | Knicks |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 126 | 111 |
| FG% | 51.6% | 47.1% |
| 3PT% | 43.3% | 22.9% |
| FT% | 85.0% | 75.0% |
| Rebounds | 53 | 48 |
| Assists | 30 | 24 |
| Steals | 9 | 9 |
| Blocks | 8 | 7 |
| Turnovers | 15 | 12 |
| Bench Points | 36 | 30 |
| Points in Paint | 58 | 56 |
| Second Chance Pts | 19 | 9 |
The second chance points gap — 19 to 9 — is massive. Detroit crashed the offensive glass and kept possessions alive in ways New York simply could not match.
Cade Cunningham Was Operating on a Different Level
Let’s just be straight about this. 42 points. 13 assists. 8 rebounds. A double-double that could have been a triple-double. Shot 50% from the field and 45.5% from three. At Madison Square Garden.
For those tracking NBA player performance stats this season, Cunningham’s efficiency numbers here were elite. His true shooting percentage sat at 59.5% on 35+ true shooting attempts — that is not a fluke line, that is a player who has fully arrived.
He was equally dangerous off the dribble, in the pick-and-roll, and pulling up from deep. The Knicks had no answer. Every time they tried to limit one thing, he punished them somewhere else.
If you want the full breakdown of Cunningham’s season stats and how this game compares to his averages, matchvsplayerstats.com tracks all of that in one place.
Paul Reed Was Unstoppable Inside
Paul Reed does not always get the shine he deserves, but his night against New York was one of the cleaner performances you will see from a center. He shot 77.8% from the floor — 7 for 9 — finished with 18 points, 7 boards, and 3 blocks. His true shooting percentage for the game was 83.6%.
Reed also went a perfect 4 for 4 at the free throw line and posted a team-high +14 plus/minus. He was the best player in the paint on either side of the ball.
What Went Wrong for the Knicks
Brunson gave them everything. His 33 points on 60% shooting was a performance any team would take. KAT’s double-double (21 and 11) kept things from getting uglier. But outside of those two, the Knicks did not have enough.
OG Anunoby went 3 for 13 from the floor. That kind of cold night from a wing who needs to be a factor in close matchups is the difference between being competitive and getting blown out.
The three-point shooting collapse (22.9%) was the real killer though. When you go 8 for 35 from deep, you are not winning NBA games regardless of who is on the other side.
Key problem areas for New York:
- 3-Point Volume vs Efficiency Mismatch: 35 attempts, only 8 makes. That is a negative expected value situation by the fourth quarter.
- Second Chance Points Surrendered: Giving up 19 second chance points means Detroit was getting multiple shots on single possessions — that wears a defense down fast.
- Bench Depth: New York’s bench scored 30 points, but Detroit’s bench put up 36 with higher efficiency. In a game this tight through three quarters, that gap mattered.
Game Context: Where Both Teams Stand
This was the second meeting between Detroit and New York this season. In their earlier matchup on February 7, Detroit also won — 118 to 80. The Pistons are now 2-0 against the Knicks in 2025-26 and have clearly figured out how to defend New York’s offensive system.
Detroit’s performance in this game is part of a broader trend. The Pistons are one of the better stories in the Eastern Conference this season — a young core led by Cunningham that has gone from rebuilding to genuinely competitive. Their offensive rating of 119.1 in this game is the kind of number contenders post.
For the Knicks, this is a wake-up call game. Their playoff position is solid enough that one loss does not define their season, but the three-point shooting drought and the inability to slow down Cunningham are things Tom Thibodeau’s staff will have to address heading into the back half of the schedule.
Player Efficiency Comparison
| Player | Team | EFF Score | True Shooting % | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cade Cunningham | DET | 43 | 59.5% | +12 |
| Paul Reed | DET | 29 | 83.6% | +14 |
| Jalen Brunson | NYK | 35 | 72.9% | -9 |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | NYK | 29 | 63.1% | 0 |
| Ausar Thompson | DET | 15 | 56.3% | +10 |
| Landry Shamet | NYK | 15 | 59.3% | -13 |
Brunson had the second-best efficiency number on either roster but finished minus-9. That tells you everything about how isolated his performance was from the rest of what New York did.
Shooting Zone Breakdown
| Zone | DET Made/Att | DET % | NYK Made/Att | NYK % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| At the Rim | 27/45 | 60.0% | 20/31 | 64.5% |
| Mid-Range | 6/11 | 54.5% | 5/6 | 83.3% |
| Three-Point | 13/30 | 43.3% | 8/35 | 22.9% |
| Free Throws | 17/20 | 85.0% | 21/28 | 75.0% |
Detroit actually got out-finished at the rim and at mid-range in percentage terms. They won this game from three and from the free throw line — efficiency over volume at the spots that matter most.
Final Analysis: What This Game Tells Us
Three things stand out from this Pistons vs Knicks box score that go beyond just the final score:
Cade Cunningham is a franchise cornerstone. Not just a good player — a guy who can take over playoff games against top Eastern Conference competition at Madison Square Garden. The 42-point, 13-assist performance on 50% shooting is the kind of line that shows up in year-end award conversations.
Detroit’s depth is real. Their bench outscored New York’s bench 36 to 30, and contributors like Paul Reed, Ausar Thompson, and Caris LeVert all posted positive plus/minus numbers. This is not a one-man team. The Pistons are built to be competitive night after night.
New York has a three-point problem. The Knicks shot 22.9% from deep in this game. If that does not improve, teams with elite perimeter defense are going to exploit it in the playoffs. Brunson and KAT are good enough to drag this team far, but the supporting cast needs to shoot better from distance consistently.
