In Pistons Game 6, Brunson flopped shamelessly, Cade Cunningham showed endurance

Yahoo

03-05-2025

Although I am a resident of New York State, I am a Pistons fan. My family drove nine hours last fall to see the opening game against the Knicks. It was a bad loss for the Pistons, but I was impressed by Cade Cunningham's steely endurance and rooted for him and the Pistons the rest of the year, faithfully following each game and each utterance.
I was upset by the officiating in this series. It seemed to all of us that the Knicks and particularly their star, Jalen Brunson, have perfected flopping. To their credit, the Pistons never flopped. I was happy to see one of the last calls for Brunson was overturned upon review. Hardaway never touched him, but once again Brunson flopped, and showed no shame.
On the final possession, Brunson can be seen to grab Asaur Thompson's right elbow and fling him in order to make an uncontested three. True to form, the New York press glibly said that Brunson had "broken Asaur's ankles" or some such rot. I think it was an obvious foul. The last sequence in which we had one last chance for one of Malik's threes, did not come to fruition, sadly, or it may have altered the game. In spite of all the flopping, we still won two games and there is always next year.
The world is tuned into the Pistons, and perhaps next year the officiating will be less obviously for the major market team, and Detroit's manly basketball will return to being the thing of beauty that it once was and will be again so long as this team remains assembled.
Thank you, Pistons, for a magnificent year.
Kirby Olson
Delhi, New York
Congratulations to the Detroit Pistons. This team that won only 14 games last year, tripled their wins, qualified as the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs, and fought tooth and nail with the 3rd-seeded New York Knicks, before losing the series 4-2. The young Pistons could not overcome their playoff inexperience, the Knicks, and the referees. Even with all that, the Knicks had to fight to outlast the Pistons.
I know Knicks fans don't want to hear it, but the referees admitted they blew the call at the buzzer in Game 4, which in effect awarded the game to the Knicks. That is an objective fact, and facts are stubborn things. Keeping it real, if the Knicks had lost a game due to a blown call, Knicks fans would have had plenty to say about it. That said, the Pistons lost the series. The loss stings, but my, what this young team will become. They are young and athletic, and will build on the playoff experience they gained.
The Pistons will be a force in the league. They are on the rise. Thank you, Pistons organization, coaches, staff and players for giving Detroit and Michigan, a thrilling season. You represented the "D" extremely well.
Earnest L. Robinson Jr., Esq.
Southfield
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Pistons got a bad deal in Game 6 of NBA playoffs | Letters