Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Cade Cunningham could solidify his All-Star case on one of NBA’s biggest stages Two of the NBA’s biggest success stories this season square off at Madison Square Garden as the Detroit Pistons are hosted by the New York Knicks. After winning 50 games, the Knicks did not rest on their laurels this offseason. Instead, they swung huge trades for Karl-Anthony Towns from Minnesota and Mikal Bridges from Brooklyn. They now sit at 25-14 and trail only the defending champion Boston Celtics and the blazing Cleveland Cavaliers. While it might not show a huge shift in the win column, a look over at Minnesota shows you how bad it can get one offseason after being named one of the ascendant teams in the league. They also seem more primed for playoff success, with still stout defense and more avenues to attack opponents on the offensive end. The Pistons, meanwhile, are coming off a seismic offseason where they fired Troy Weaver and had the guts to fire head coach Monty Williams despite him being owed $60 million. Their boldness also, arguably, stretched to their patience with their young players. Instead of selling low on Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart, and Ausar Thompson, they brought everyone back and smartly fit pieces around them, including star Cade Cunningham. The Pistons have gone from 14 wins all over last season to 20 wins, not even halfway through this one. They are above .500 and firmly in the mix for a Play-In spot. Game Vitals When: 7:30 p.m. ETWhere: Madison Square Garden, New York, New YorkWatch: Fan Duel Sports Network DetroitOdds: Pistons +8 Analysis The Pistons face a steep uphill climb as they look to slow down the Knicks. However, this is a good time to see the Knicks, as they have lost four of their past six games. They are playing the second game of a back-to-back (a 140-106 rout of the Bucks), and Jalen Brunson left that game with a shoulder injury for an extended period, but came back to close out the game. Also, if any one player is up to the challenge, it might be Cade Cunningham. In Cunningham’s previous four outings against the Knicks, he has scored 29, 22, 32, and 31 points. That includes one blowout loss this season (128-98 on Nov. 1) and one win (120-111 on Dec. 7). In those four games, Cade is averaging 28.5/9.25/5.7 on shooting splits of 53/57/84. What else went right for the Pistons in their previous win over the Knicks? Malik Beasley hit seven threes off the bench and Tobias Harris and Jalen Duren had quiet but impactful games on both ends of the floor. Oh yeah, and Karl-Anthony Towns also missed the game. If the Pistons are able to dodge Brusnon in this game (he is officially listed as questionable in the most recent injury report), then Detroit could come away with a win among one of the better teams in the league on the NBA’s biggest stage and with a lot of important people watching. It could be a great opportunity for Cunningham to burnish his case to make the All-Star team. Projected Lineups Detroit Pistons (20-19) Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson, Tim Hardaway Jr., Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren New York Knicks (26-14) Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns Question of the Game Assuming both play, who has a better game, Jalen Brunson or Cade Cunningham?