Cade Cunningham MVP? “I Think I Am”
Cade Cunningham drops 42 points at Madison Square Garden and leads Detroit to a season sweep over the Knicks. With the Pistons atop the East, his MVP case is becoming increasingly legitimate
At Madison Square Garden, performances carry extra weight. It’s the stage where narratives are built, candidacies are strengthened and ambitions turn into public declarations. In Detroit’s 126-111 win over the New York Knicks, that’s exactly what happened: Cade Cunningham turned a great game into an MVP manifesto.
Without two key big men in Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart, both suspended, Detroit completed the season sweep over New York. But beyond the team victory, the night belonged to No. 2: 42 points, 13 assists and 8 rebounds, knocking down 5-of-11 from three and adding two blocks. A complete performance.
Cade Cunningham MVP? “I Think I Am”
In preseason he had explained that the award wasn’t a direct goal, but rather a consequence of collective success. Now the tone is different — more direct.
It comes from doing what I said I needed to do to be in that conversation. I think I am. If you don’t agree, that’s your opinion.
Cade Cunningham via ESPN
His season speaks for itself: 25.3 points (14th in the NBA), 9.6 assists (2nd), 5.8 rebounds per game. Numbers of a leader – and above all, of a player who impacts winning.
Detroit First in the East: No Coincidence
The Pistons aren’t surprising anyone – they’re dominating. At 41-13, they’ve surpassed the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder for the best record in the NBA and built a six-game cushion over the Boston Celtics.
We’re the best team in the East. The statement is going out there every night and competing until the opponent breaks.
Cade Cunningham via ESPN
It’s not just offensive talent. Against New York – one of the league’s most prolific three-point shooting teams – Detroit allowed just 8 threes on 35 attempts, including a stretch of 15 consecutive misses in the first half. Clear identity, mental toughness and consistency.
Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff emphasized postgame that the approach has remained unchanged all season: same intensity, same discipline, regardless of the opponent. That’s the real leap forward.
It’s not about us and the Knicks. In most games we’ve played the same way – same temperament, same toughness, defending the same way. For us, it’s just basketball. It’s not about the opponent.
J.B. Bickerstaff
On Cunningham’s MVP-level impact, he added:
You don’t choose an MVP based on one game or one statement. He’s been like this all season. He’s dominated on both ends of the floor and had a massive impact on winning.
J.B. Bickerstaff
How High Can Cunningham Climb in Pistons History?
Since media members began voting for MVP in 1980, Detroit’s best finish was Grant Hill’s third-place vote in 1997, behind Michael Jordan and Karl Malone. Isiah Thomas finished fifth in 1984.
Cunningham now has a real opportunity to surpass both.
Veteran Tobias Harris summed it up this way:
He’s a winner. But more than anything, he wants championships, not individual awards.
Tobias Harris
It’s an important distinction: players who put team success above all else often end up collecting individual honors anyway.
The message is clear.
Dominant performance. First place in the East. Obvious leadership.
The 2026 NBA MVP race is still open – but at Madison Square Garden, Cade Cunningham made a statement that’s hard to ignore.
And maybe nothing more needs to be said.