On Saturday, the Detroit Pistons let the New York Knicks steal a Game 1 win with a 21-0 run in the fourth quarter. On Monday in Game 2, Detroit held firm — barely — for a 100-94 win.
The result is a first-round series knotted at 1-1 as it shifts to Detroit for Game 3 on Thursday. It was also Detroit’s first victory in a playoff game since 2008, ending the longest playoff losing streak in NBA history at 15 games.
In Game 1, Detroit led by eight points with 9:16 to go before New York stormed back for a 123-112 victory. Game 2 was also dramatic. The Pistons led by eight going into the final period, but the Knicks again whittled away at the deficit, eventually tying the score at 94 with 1:15 to go. Dennis Schröder’s 3-pointer 20 seconds later put Detroit back in front, and the Pistons held on from there.
Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 33 points, while Jalen Brunson paced the Knicks with 37.
Also on Monday, the Denver Nuggets host the LA Clippers in Game 2 (live on TNT). Denver leads the series 1-0 after winning Game 1, 112-110 in overtime.
Pistons 100, Knicks 94
Cunningham catalyzes Detroit to even series
Cunningham recalibrated quickly from his lackluster playoff debut to look like the best player on the floor Monday night. It didn’t matter if it was OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges or Josh Hart, the Knicks had no answer for Cunningham. His effort was the catalyst for the Pistons’ first playoff win since 2008.
He scored 20 of his 33 in the first half and finished the game shooting 11-of-21 from the field with 12 rebounds, three assists and two steals. The 23-year-old guard looked like the version of himself who averaged 32.5 points on 52.3 percent and 56.3 percent from distance in Madison Square Garden during the regular season.
Schröder played a significant role in the win as well, offering a steadying veteran hand to guide Detroit, whether Cunningham was in the game or not. Schröder chipped in 20 points, three assists and two rebounds. Veteran Paul Reed stepped up big in the absence of Isaiah Stewart, adding six points, one rebound and one block. Despite the numbers not leaping off the page, Reed was a team-high plus-13.
The Pistons now head back to Detroit with the series even at 1-1 and home-court advantage. — Hunter Patterson
Knicks’ offense goes missing in Game 2 loss
For as disciplined as New York’s defense was in its Game 1 win over the Pistons, the offense was the antithesis of that in Monday’s Game 2 loss.
The Knicks — the fifth-ranked offense in the NBA during the regular season — were often stagnant and lacking spacing for most of the game, with players cutting into one another.
New York scored only 94 points and shot 42 percent from the field and 28.6 percent from 3.
It felt like, for most of the game, the Knicks were bothered by Detroit’s physicality and frustrated by the lack of free-throw attempts. New York shot just two free throws in the first half, which came in the half’s final seconds. It felt like Brunson was seeking out contact as opposed to getting to his spots. Karl-Anthony Towns didn’t move the ball well and tried to force a lot of attempts.
Brunson, as he always does, willed his team at the end — using the Pistons’ aggression against them — and put New York in a position to win, but too many missed shots in the final seconds cost the Knicks.
The Knicks need to adjust quickly to how the officials have called the game in the playoffs and do a better job of staying disciplined in their spacing and getting the ball moving. — James Edwards III
(Photo of Cade Cunningham and Mikal Bridges: Al Bello / Getty Images)
