As Knicks soar into Game 2, Pistons hope lessons were learned

With the New York Knicks facing an eight-point deficit to the upstart Detroit Pistons entering the fourth quarter on Saturday, Jalen Brunson returned to the locker room to change his sneakers and watched the first few minutes from the bench.

After the fleet-footed Brunson helped the Knicks rally to win Game 1, New York coach Tom Thibodeau quipped, “I think he grabbed his cape.”

Brunson and his teammates were unstoppable down the stretch and the Knicks are out to put together a similar showing, albeit with better scoring balance, in Game 2 at home on Monday. The Pistons hope a better finishing kick can even the Eastern Conference first-round series.

The Knicks are attempting to open a series with a 2-0 lead for the second straight season while the Pistons intend to end a 15-game playoff losing streak that dates back to Game 4 of the 2008 Eastern Conference against the Boston Celtics. It is the longest in NBA history.

The Knicks opened the series by pulling away for a 123-112 victory thanks to their impressive fourth quarter. New York trailed 91-83 to start the fourth when the Pistons committed a five-second violation on an inbounds play and a shot-clock violation on their first two possessions of the final period.

New York outscored Detroit 40-21 over the final 12 minutes when they forced eight of the Pistons’ 21 turnovers as Brunson delivered 12 of his 34 points.

Brunson was on the bench for the first 2:54 of the final period and entered as the Pistons led 98-92. Detroit was at the start of a scoring drought that lasted 4 minutes, 54 seconds as the Knicks ripped off 21 straight points, often getting to the rim with ease.

Brunson scored eight points in the dominating stretch, including a shot from close range that snapped a 98-98 deadlock.

“It’s important, especially at home,” Brunson said. “They pushed us and we found a way in the fourth quarter to get stops and find a way to win. When you get a win, it does a lot for your confidence.”

Brunson posted his 12th career 30-point playoff game with the Knicks and did it after starting the game 2 of 13 from the floor. While he struggled early, he had help from teammate OG Anunoby, who scored 19 of his 23 points in the first half. New York’s Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 23.

“Jalen’s a great player,” Anunoby said. “So I’m not surprised by it all. That’s what he does.”

In the fourth qurter, the Knicks also leaned on Cameron Payne, who hit a game-tying 3-pointer with 7:47 remaining and scored 11 of his 14 points when New York shot a blistering 70.8 percent, including 13 of 17 inside the paint.

After winning 44 games for a 30-game improvement that included three wins over the Knicks in the regular season, the Pistons were done in by their inability to hold onto the ball and effectively adjust to an opponent getting inside the paint constantly.

Detroit will try to even the series in advance of Game 3 at home Thursday after shooting 31.8 percent in the fourth quarter, while watching the Knicks score 11 points off turnovers in the final period.

The Pistons are hoping for a more efficient outing from Cade Cunningham. While Tobias Harris scored 25 points to help the Pistons take control through three quarters, Cunningham was 8 of 21 from the floor and scored 21 points.

“It’s just one game of a series,” Harris said. “Playoff basketball is about how you respond. It is one of the biggest things in this league. I’m excited to see how we respond.”

Detroit will need Isaiah Stewart to stay out of foul trouble. The physical backup center was limited to 48 seconds in the fourth after getting his fifth foul with 9:06 remaining.

“We were the better team for three quarters, I thought,” said Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who did not use a timeout during New York’s massive run. “These are learning lessons for us, and we have to be honest with ourselves when it comes to that.

“We talked pregame about what experience is, and this is experience. Now you come back, the next game, how quickly do you learn from it?”

–Field Level Media