NBA Makes Major Cade Cunningham Announcement During Playoffs
The Detroit Pistons did not have the start to the playoffs that they hoped for on Saturday in Game 1 of the first round against the New York Knicks.
Detroit had a great start to the game as they were able to keep pace with New York throughout the first half, trailing the Knicks by two at halftime.
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The Pistons then caught fire in the third quarter, outscoring the Knicks by 10 points to take an eight-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.
New York then came racing back in the fourth quarter as they went on a 21-0 run and outscored Detroit by 19 points to capture the Game 1 victory 123-112.
This was a disappointing result for the Pistons and they will now look to bounce back in Game 2 on Monday.
In between Games 1 and 2, the NBA made a massive announcement regarding Pistons superstar point guard Cade Cunningham.
The NBA announced that Cunningham has been named as a finalist for the 2024-25 Kia NBA Most Improved Player Award.
Cunningham is joined by Dyson Daniels of the Atlanta Hawks and Ivica Zubac of the Los Angeles Clippers as finalists for the MIP award.
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Of course, Cunningham had a breakout season this year as he led the Pistons to their first playoff appearance since the 2018-19 season.
This season, the 23-year-old guard averaged 26.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 9.1 assists and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 46.9% from the field and 35.6% from three-point range.
© Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
While Cunningham did have an incredible season, he and the NBA have drawn a ton of criticism for him being nominated for the MIP award since he is a former first overall draft pick.
Despite this, the star guard put together the best season of his career and he played a massive role in helping the Pistons break their playoff drought.
The NBA MIP award will be announced at some point over the next couple of weeks during the playoffs along with the other awards and the selections for the All-NBA, All-Defense and All-Rookie teams.
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