Detroit led late, but then fell apart
The Detroit Pistons veterans led them early, but in a critical fourth quarter, the team’s youth and inexperience showed. The Pistons went from up eight points early in the fourth quarter to down 13 after giving up a 21-point run to the Knicks in the 123-112 loss.
Before the series began, we talked about how playoff basketball was different and that for this young team, it was going to be baptism by fire. They acquitted themselves well for the first three quarters in a largely back-and-forth game. They navigated an engaged Knicks defense, they hit open shots, they moved the ball well, and they played spirited defense.
But if playoff basketball is different, then fourth quarter playoff basketball is really different.
Turnovers have been Detroit’s Achilles heel all season, and the issue showed up in a big way in the fourth against the Knicks. The Pistons committed 21 in the game, including a five-second violation to begin the fourth. It was an ominous sign of things to come.
They turned it over again on the ensuing possession on a shot clock violation after Ausar Thompson was unable to get a shot off from the dunker’s spot. The Pistons had eight turnovers in the quarter.
There had been much talk about how critical it was for Cade Cunningham to play close to the level he played against the Knicks in the regular season. Cunningham was a willing and smart passer on the night, but the Cade Detroit needed did not show up in game one.
He finished with 21 points and 12 assists, but was just 8-of-21 from the floor, hit just one of his four three-point attempts, and had a team-high six turnovers. His teammates largely stepped up and did what they needed to do, especially the veterans.
Tobias Harris scored 22 first-half points, but scored just three in the second half. He was on fire early, hitting mid-range jumpers and getting to the free-throw line. Tim Hardaway Jr. and Malik Beasley were also money from deep in the first half, and helped Detroit stay in the game with Cade struggling.
Knicks star Jalen Brunson had struggles of his own, but he was able to step up in the critical phase late in the game where Cunningham could not. Brunson led all scorers with 34 points and was 9-of-13 after a rocky begging to the game, finishing 12-of-27 overall.
As the Pistons had players step up to help a struggling star so did New York. OG Anunonby was a beast on both ends throughout the game, finishing with 23 points. Karl-Anthony Towns also scored 23, including several high degree of difficult fadeaway jumpers and floaters in the lane. The hero for New York in the fourth was Cam Payne, who scored 11 in the period, putting a stamp on New York’s definitive 21-point run.
In the end, it was a loss for Detroit on the road. It is a loss they can learn from. They have a sense of the level of defense they will be allowed to play (several Pistons struggled with foul trouble in this one), they know what it looks like when a team turns up the defense, and now they REALLY know what a late-game playoff game looks like. They didn’t respond well in game one. But they showed they have the talent, now they just need to find an answer.