New York Knicks vs Detroit Pistons

By tying the series 1-1, the Pistons have revitalized their playoff hopes, but now they must take full advantage of their upcoming two-game home stand before heading back to New York for Game Five.

Detroit’s recent home form has been shaky—they lost three of their last four regular-season games at home. However, their lone victory in that stretch came against these same Knicks on April 11, extending what was then a three-game winning streak in this matchup. That history should give them confidence as they return to their own floor.

Meanwhile, the Knicks narrowly avoided disaster in Game One, relying on a late four-minute surge to steal the win. In Game Two, they attempted another comeback—Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart sparked an 8-2 run to tie the game at 94 in the final minute—but this time, Dennis Schröder and Jalen Duren stepped up to seal the victory for Detroit.

Jalen Brunson delivered a 37-point marathon performance, playing 44 of 48 minutes, but his efforts weren’t enough to prevent another disappointing home loss for the Knicks. This marks their third defeat at Madison Square Garden in just six games since the start of April, raising concerns about their playoff readiness.

The struggles don’t end there—New York has now dropped four of their last five meetings with the Detroit Pistons, a troubling trend that suggests an upset could be brewing in this 3rd vs. 6th Eastern Conference showdown.

Despite having one of the league’s most talented frontcourts, the Knicks were outmuscled on the boards, losing the rebounding battle by 14 to a more physical Pistons squad. If they can’t tighten up their interior defense and crash the glass harder, they risk falling into an even deeper hole in Friday’s crucial matchup.