In the second game of the Eastern Conference playoffs, the New York Knicks (1-1) hosted the Detroit Pistons (1-1) again at Madison Square Garden. On Saturday, the Knicks rallied with a 21-0 run to overcome the youngsters. On Monday night, the Pistons and the refs (Curtis Blair, Josh Tiven, Scott Twardoski, and Ray Acosta) worked diligently to even the series with a 100-94 win.
The Knicks started hot with early buckets from OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Karl-Anthony Towns. Jalen Brunson added a pair of tough finishes as New York briefly took the lead. But the offense dried up—just two points in the final five minutes—while Cade Cunningham sparked a 10–2 Pistons run. Despite flashes on defense, sloppy turnovers and cold shooting let Detroit seize control. The Knicks trailed 25–18 after one. By halftime, it had been a gritty, if uneven battle, with New York winning the second frame 31-30. Detroit shot a clean 50% from the field and built a 13-point lead at one point, helped by lopsided whistles—the Motor City had 14 free-throw attempts to the Knicks’ two.
In the first half, the Knicks moved the ball better (11 assists to Detroit’s 4) and edged the Pistons in the paint (28–26), but sloppy turnovers (10) and cold shooting from deep (5-for-16) held them back. Cade Cunningham led all scorers with 20, while Brunson had 17 for New York, and Bridges showed encouraging signs of life with 13 points on 10 shots.
The Knicks couldn’t find a rhythm in the third, as Detroit crashed the glass, turned second chances into points, and pushed their lead to 15. A clear path foul on Brunson and more lopsided whistles didn’t help—even the usually restrained Mike Breen called out the officiating on the broadcast. Still, the refs can’t shoulder all the blame. Other items in New York’s negative column: scoring just four points in over seven minutes; Detroit’s bench outscoring New York’s 20-5 through three quarters; and managing just 18 points in the first and third quarters.
In the positive column: early in the fourth, Ausar Thompson picked up his fifth foul, and Miles McBride hit his second triple of the game. Detroit’s defense stymied the Knicks guards in the paint, but Captain Clutch worked hard to complete the rally. Maybe too hard; Jalen would finish with 37 points but had taken twice as many shots as Towns after three-and-a-half quarters, giving the offense a one-dimensional quality.
Cunningham would finish with 33 points on 11-of-21 shooting, 12 rebounds, three assists, and five turnovers.
The momentum shifted late as Thompson fouled out, and Cunningham was hit with a clear-path foul. The Knicks’ swarming defense forced a shot-clock violation, and Brunson—after a brief trip to the locker room—returned to cap a 12–2 run that cut the deficit to two. An OG steal led to a Hart dunk to tie it, but Dennis Schröder answered with a dagger three. Brunson and Bridges missed potentially tying three-pointers, and Schröder’s free throw with eight seconds left sealed it. Final numbers: 34 free throws for Detroit to New York’s 19, a 48–34 rebounding edge for the Pistons, and both teams ice cold from deep (NY 29%; DET 22%).
Up Next
Professor Miranda will soon call class to order. The Knicks? They’ll head to Detroit for Game Three. Safe travels, Knickerbockers.