All-Star guards Jalen Brunson and Cade Cunningham clash in the 1st round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
A good many 3-6 series don’t carry as much intrigue as this one. That’s because, although the Knicks bring experience and the heftier expectations, the Pistons — who won the season series 3-1 — are plucky and have nothing to lose. This is house money for a young team that won just 14 games last season, a chance to announce its arrival with an upset, or chalk it up to a valuable learning experience if it loses.
Series schedule
Here’s how to watch the Knicks vs. Pistons series:
All times Eastern Standard Time
- Game 1: Pistons at Knicks (Sat. April 19, 6 ET, ESPN)
- Game 2: Pistons at Knicks (Mon. April 21, 7:30 ET, TNT)
- Game 3: Knicks at Pistons (Thu. April 24, 7 ET, TNT)
- Game 4: Knicks at Pistons (Sun. April 27, 1 ET, ABC)
- Game 5: Pistons at Knicks (Tue. April 29, TBD)*
- Game 6: Knicks at Pistons (Thu. May 1, TBD)*
- Game 7: Pistons at Knicks (Sat. May 3, TBD)*
* = If necessary
Top storyline
Motor Cade and JB (Jalen Brunson, not Bickerstaff). This should be a breathtaking matchup between two point guards who could be named All-NBA.
Cade Cunningham went next level this season with superb all-around play that triggered Detroit’s turnaround. He averaged 30.8 points, 8.3 assists and 5 rebounds per game against the Knicks this season, suggesting he’ll be a problem for New York’s defense.
Brunson, who averaged 28.3 ppg and 7.8 apg vs. Detroit, dealt with an ankle injury late this season, missing a month and barely reaching the league-mandated 65-game threshold for award eligibility. He’ll need to sharpen up in a hurry and return to the impactful centerpiece who breaks down defenses.
Keep your eyes on
Malik Beasley’s 3-pointers: The Pistons guard became the fourth player in history to drop 300 from deep in a single season, surprising because until now, Beasley’s journeyman career was decent but by no means dripping with historical promise. Yet he has made himself into a threat, someone who cannot be left unguarded.
Beasley is shooting 41.3% from beyond the arc, which is excellent for such a high-volume marksman (9.3 attempts per game). Like, seriously, that’s Stephen Curry territory.
1 more thing to watch for each team
For Knicks: New York’s defense comes and goes. The Knicks don’t force many turnovers and are among the league’s lesser rebounding teams. This is somewhat discouraging for coach Tom Thibodeau, who preaches the importance of that end of the floor.
It’ll be interesting to see the defensive efforts of Josh Hart, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges in particular. All are valued for their toughness and length, and those will be necessary traits when it’s time to double on Cunningham and limit his options.
For Pistons: Isaiah Stewart is Thibodeau’s kind of player, but unfortunately for the Knicks, he does not play for Thibs. Tough and intimidating, “Beef Stew” is unapologetic in how he goes about his business.
Of course, this gets him into trouble when he (often) goes over the line and draws technical fouls or suspensions. Still, he’s not bashful about mixing it up and making opposing players flinch (1.4 blocks per game) when they venture into the paint.
1 key number to know
8.6 – For the second straight season, Jalen Brunson led the league in time of possession at 8.6 minutes per game. He also registered a clutch usage rate of 42.4%, the highest among 178 players who played at least 50 clutch minutes this season. The Knicks have three other starters who averaged more than 17 points per game, but the league’s fifth-ranked offense always ran through Brunson when he was on the floor.
We can expect him to have the ball even more in the playoffs. Last year, Brunson averaged 10 minutes of possession over the Knicks’ two postseason series. And the Pistons didn’t take the ball out of his hands much in the regular season, with Brunson averaging 8.5 minutes of possession and registering a usage rate of 31.8% (his fifth highest vs. any opponent) over the four meetings. Ausar Thompson missed the first two meetings and had the Brunson assignment in the last two, keeping Brunson’s offense limited when he was able to stay attached.
— John Schuhmann
The pick
Knicks in seven. This will go the limit because the Pistons are a difficult matchup for the Knicks — and in the playoffs, it’s all about matchups. Young and hungry, Detroit seems rejuvenated under coach JB Bickerstaff and pointed in the right direction by Cunningham. That said, Karl-Anthony Towns will see his first playoff action with the Knicks and he’ll be anxious to make a statement as well. Even though the Pistons took a pair of games in the Garden this season, getting a Game 7 is different.
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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for more than 25 years. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.
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