Knicks coach Mike Brown on Pistons’ physical identity under J.B. Bickerstaff
Mike Brown: “J.B. has this team believing, not just in the process, but in each other.”
Detroit — The Detroit Pistons have experienced several growing pains over the last six years. Eight months ago, however, they faced one of their most significant lessons when they lost their first-round series to the New York Knicks. They have repeatedly stated that losing in six games laid the groundwork for their success this year.
The Pistons walked into Little Caesars Arena with the goal of getting revenge for their playoff loss, but while leaning upon their lessons, Detroit took a 121-90 victory Monday night. While playing on a second night of a back-to-back, the Pistons improved to 27-9.
“This was a great win for us, this meant a lot,” guard Cade Cunningham said. “It was a playoff series from last year, but them being second and us being first (in the Eastern Conference), them being on our heels, we were not trying to allow that. It was a big game and we all came in locked in.”
Several factors have led to the Pistons’ evolution over the last eight months, but none more than their growth on defense. They came into the Eastern Conference battle with the league’s second-best defense, a net rating of 110.6.
The Pistons displayed their defensive growth in the second half, holding the Knicks to 36 points on 29.7% shooting. Detroit’s best defensive period came during the third quarter. The Pistons held the Knicks to 15 points in the first five minutes, where New York had scored only five points on 2-of-14 shooting.
“That’s what it was about for us tonight. When we defend that way, it makes our offense easy. We get to play in transition, play on a broken floor, and play with tempo,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said.
BOX SCORE: Pistons 121, Knicks 90
“We’ll get what we’re looking for offensively. But I couldn’t be prouder of the guys, and it was everybody. Everybody who played had the right mentality, had the right mindset, and understood that this was going to be one of our identity games. And, if we play to our identity, we’re going to give ourselves a chance to win it, and I thought we did that tonight.”
The Pistons’ dominance was a result of a collective team effort, with five players scoring in double figures. However, Cunningham might have climbed the league’s weekly MVP ladder due to his outstanding performance. The All-NBA guard scored 29 points on 11-of-17 shooting and recorded his 20th double-double of the season by adding 13 assists.
Notably, Cunningham scored 15 points in the third quarter, shooting 5-for-8 from the floor. He also contributed to the Pistons’ second-half defense. With 8:11 left in the third quarter, Cunningham recorded a one-handed block on Knicks’ Miles McBride’s layup attempt.
“A playoff series gives you so much experience…It made us a better team this year.”
Cade Cunningham speaks on the intangibles that the #Pistons have improved on when reflecting on last season’s playoff series against the Knicks. pic.twitter.com/7RtzsiwPJv
— Coty M. Davis (@CotyDavis_24) January 6, 2026
“It is what we have been doing all year,” Cunningham said. “We have had so many guys step up when needed, and make plays that allow us to win games. It is next man up mentality. This locker room is deep. it was a great team win.”
While the Pistons’ roster remains essentially the same as last season, most of the key contributors did not play during the playoff series.
Javonte Green led Detroit’s bench unit with 17 points on 4-of-6 shooting from behind the arc. Jaden Ivey, who was sidelined the entire postseason due to a leg injury, scored a season-high 16 points in 22 minutes. Daniss Jenkins picked up where he left off 24 hours earlier in Cleveland by adding 12 points and four assists.
Isaiah Stewart started in place of Jalen Duren (ankle) for the second consecutive game. He was a defensive juggernaut by holding Knicks All-Star Karl Anthony-Towns to six points. Steward finished with nine rebounds, seven points, and two blocks.
“I thought we all did a good job of being cool and collected and just playing basketball,” Steward said. “The fans gave us the energy right out of the gate. We all huddled up after introductions, and we didn’t have anything else to say. The fans said it for us. They were excited for this matchup, just as we were. We just wanted to play basketball and get right to it.”
Jalen Brunson led New York with a team-high 25 points and six turnovers, while McBride added 17 points off the bench. Detroit’s defense forced New York into committing 20 turnovers, which led to 33 points.
“It’s one of 82, and that’s our mindset. We’re focused on playing our best basketball every single night. We don’t change because of our opponents or what the moment is,” Bickerstaff said. “We want to be good. We want to be great. In order to do that, we have to be consistent.”
Bickerstaff continued, “If you’re playing the emotional game and the emotional rollercoaster, you can’t find consistency. I think that’s what our guys have found is consistency in their system and in their identity, and that gives you the opportunity to execute at a high level. You come up with results like this.”
Observations and notes
▶ Ausar learning from playoff experience: Ausar Thompson has consistently mentioned this year that the most important lesson he learned from his first-round series against Brunson was how to defend effectively without committing fouls. While he has had only a few lapses in this area this season, his matchup against the Knicks gave him an opportunity to assess his progress.
Thompson had one of his best defensive outings of the season, playing a significant role in Brunson’s inefficient 10-of-21 shooting. He committed his only defensive foul midway through the third quarter.
One of his best defensive highlights of the night occurred with 3:45 remaining in the third quarter when Thompson stole the ball from Brunson, resulting in the Knicks’ seventh turnover of the period. The steal by Thompson led to Javonte Green scoring a layup in transition, which gave the Pistons a 53-44 lead. It was also Thompson’s first of three takeaways from the All-NBA guard.
“I thought Ausar did a great job defending him without fouling.”
Bickerstaff speaks on Ausar Thompson’s growth on the defensive end following the #Pistons blowout win against the Knicks. pic.twitter.com/a1dO7wWXEv
— Coty M. Davis (@CotyDavis_24) January 6, 2026
▶ P. Reed continues to keep the Dawg Pound afloat: Paul Reed started for Detroit amid Tobias Harris’ second consecutive game out due to a hip injury. In 25 minutes of play, Reed proved why many considered him an unsung hero during their playoff series last season, finishing with eight points and eight rebounds.
▶ An improved night in 3-point shooting: The Pistons have proven to be a mediocre shooting team at best this season. However, in their rematch against the Knicks, the Pistons had one of their best shooting performances of the season, finishing at 51.6% from deep, making 16 3-pointers. In addition to Green, Cunningham connected on three triples, while Jenkins, Duncan Robinson and Marcus Sasser each accounted for two.
coty.davis@detroitnews.com
@cotydavis_24
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