DETROIT — Nothing was settled. 

The Knicks had a chance to clinch the No. 3 seed Thursday and essentially lock in Detroit as a first-round opponent.

Instead, they played it safe with rest days and minutes restrictions and were overwhelmed down the stretch Thursday by the scrappy Pistons, 115-106. 

As a result, the Knicks, with two games remaining, still need either a win or a Pacers defeat to secure No. 3 in the East. 

Assuming that happens — the Knicks play the Cavaliers on Friday and the Nets on Sunday — their most likely first-round opponent is still the Pistons.

Nevertheless, Detroit can jump up a spot by winning its final two games.

That would leave the Bucks as the Knicks’ opening playoff opponent. 

Contrary to Tom Thibodeau’s reputation, the Knicks weren’t fully invested in winning Thursday.

They sat two starters — OG Anunoby and Josh Hart — on the first night of a back-to-back, with Mitchell Robinson also shelved. 

Cade Cunningham, who scored a game-high 36 points, rises up for a layup during the Knicks’ 115-106 loss to the Pistons on April 10, 2025. NBAE via Getty Images

Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns were clearly operating on restrictions, totaling under 30 minutes apiece.

Then they both came up short late, with the Pistons going on a 9-0 run in the middle of the fourth quarter to take control. 

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Towns committed seven turnovers, including four in the fourth quarter. Brunson was scoreless in the final period.

Thibodeau took a hard detour with his rotation, giving PJ Tucker heavy minutes for the first time this season.

Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored a team-high 25 points, goes up for a layup during the Knicks’ loss to the Pistons. NBAE via Getty Images

Tucker, 39, who sat out this season before signing a 10-day contract with the Knicks in March, mixed it up physically with the feisty Pistons and buried his first points of the season on a trey in the third quarter. 

It represented his first NBA bucket in exactly a year. 

At one point in the second quarter, the Knicks produced a lineup with Tucker, Cam Payne, Landry Shamet and Delon Wright. 

Jalen Brunson, who scored 16 points, drives on Tim Hardaway Jr. during the Knicks’ loss to the Pistons. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Despite their lack of experience playing together, the Knicks reserves held their own — even building a double-digit lead in the opening half.

The starters blew it in the fourth quarter.

A Knicks-Pistons playoff series would also be a rematch between Thibodeau and Detroit coach JB Bickerstaff, who lost to the Knicks in the first round two years ago while guiding the Cavaliers. 

Tobias Harris, who scored 17 points, looks to make a move on Miles McBride during the Knicks’ loss to the Pistons. NBAE via Getty Images

In that matchup, the Knicks physically dominated the paint and the Cavs.

The Pistons, theoretically, offer a tougher brand of ball with Isaiah Stewart and Ausar Thompson. 

But none of Detroit’s young players — including Cade Cunningham, who scored a game-high 36 points — have yet to play in the postseason. 

“Obviously, Thibs is a great coach,” Bickerstaff said. “His strategy, the way that he gets his guys to compete, defend, all those things, his ability to take away your first strength and the first option of what you’re trying to do is high level. This team, like I said, is a completely different team than we had in Cleveland. 

“Just the stylistic thing. I like our chances, period, with anybody just because the way we compete, the way we scrap. Again, it’s going to take some time for our guys to experience things. But I think we’re built for playoff basketball.”