Cade Cunningham is set to make his NBA playoff debut, and the All-Star guard is embracing the moment with full intensity and focus.
With the postseason set to begin next week, the No. 6 seed Detroit Pistons will travel to face the No. 3 seed New York Knicks in the opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
In an interview with ESPN’s Shams Charania that aired during NBA Countdown on Sunday, Cunningham shared his thoughts on the highly anticipated series against a team Detroit has performed well against this season.
“It’s going to be a war,” Cunningham said. “These games will be physical — it’s going to come down to defense, rebounding, and competing on every possession.
“It’s going to be a great series for fans to watch, and a huge test for us. It’s the first time in a while that the organization is back in this position, and we’re all excited for the challenge.”
Detroit won the regular season series 3-1 over New York, thanks in large part to several strong performances from Cunningham. Most recently, he scored 36 points in a 115-106 comeback win at Little Caesars Arena.
It was his second 36-point outing against the Knicks this season — the first came on Jan. 13 at Madison Square Garden, a performance that many viewed as a breakout moment for the fourth-year star.
Cunningham has been dominant in the matchup this year, averaging 30.8 points per game while shooting 56.3% from the field and 52% from beyond the arc. He’s also contributed 8.3 assists and five rebounds per game against New York.
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