The long wait is over: Cade Cunningham and the No. 6 seed Detroit Pistons take on Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and the No. 3 seed New York Knicks in Game 1 on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs.
The game will start at 6 p.m. with the TV channel on ESPN nationally, FanDuel Sports Network Detroit (in Metro Detroit) and MSG Network (New York/New Jersey market).
This is Detroit’s first playoff appearance since 2019 when it lost in four games to the No. 1 seed Milwaukee Bucks.
A lot has changed for the Pistons since the organization’s last playoff berth in 2019: They drafted Cunningham, who has blossomed into an All-Star. They’ve developed a fighter’s mentality that could give them an edge against a battle-tested Knicks team. And they’ve more than tripled their win total from a franchise-low 14 wins in the 2023-24 season, making them a legitimate upset threat in the Eastern Conference.
The Pistons own the NBA’s longest-ever playoff losing streak (14 games), which they hope to break tonight. The last time the Pistons won a playoff game was May 26, 2008, with a 94-75 Game 4 victory in the East finals over the eventual champion Boston Celtics.
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That’s right: The last time the Pistons won a playoff game, they hadn’t even moved into Little Caesars Arena, yet.
Our experts are split about the Pistons chances against the Knicks this series. One one hand, the Pistons won three out of their four regular-season games against NYK this season. But the Knicks have the more talented and experienced roster, which provides a big hurdle for this young Pistons core to overcome.
Follow Pistons-Knicks score updates from Game 1:
ALL THE PICKS: Here are 43 expert predictions for Pistons-Knicks series
Pistons vs Knicks score updates in Game 1
This section will be updated starting at tipoff.
1Q, 8:41: Pistons 3, Knicks 8
The Pistons have been moving on offense but haven’t been getting many open looks early in the game. Ausar Thompson has been especially active, scoring all three points for Detroit so far but also turning the ball over via a charging foul.
The Knicks have gotten two buckets from OG Anunoby as New York takes an 8-3 lead early on.
Approaching tipoff
A longer-than-usual pregame show has pushed the Game 1 start time later than advertised. Because of the overtime period in Game 1 of the Nuggets vs Clippers series, the national broadcast of the game will begin on ESPN2
As for the lineups, there are no surprises. Pistons guard Jaden Ivey is still out while recovering from a broken left femur, but otherwise the Pistons will be sending out the starting lineup they’ve been leaning on during the stretch run.
The Knicks have their usual starters listed and ready to play.
Pistons vs Knicks coaching matchup
J.B. Bickerstaff leads the Pistons into the playoffs in his first year coaching the team, a title also recently shared by former coaches Dwane Casey (2018-19) and Michael Curry (2008-09). Bickerstaff is the third Pistons coach in the last three years, after Monty Williams lasted only one season in 2023-24 and Casey moved to the front office after the 2022-23 season.
Bickerstaff has coached in the playoffs on three separate occasions: with the Houston Rockets in 2016, the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2023 and again with the Cavs in 2024. Bickerstaff has a 7-15 overall playoff record, making it out of the first round on only one occasion (2024, when the Cavs lost to the eventual champion Boston Celtics 4-1 in the second round).
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau has a much longer playoff history, bringing three teams to the playoffs on nine separate occasions, but has a 38-47 overall record as none of his teams has ever made it to the NBA finals. Thibodeau’s best playoff run as an NBA coach came in his first season coaching a playoff team, when the 2010-11 Chicago Bulls lost 4-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Miami Heat.
Pistons vs Knicks regular-season matchups
The Pistons and the Knicks met four times in the 2024-25 regular season, with the Pistons winning three out of the four matchups.
- Nov. 1: Knicks 128-98 Pistons – New York dominates early and cruises to an easy win.
- Dec. 7: Pistons 120-111 Knicks – Cunningham becomes the first Piston to record a triple-double at the current Madison Square Garden.
- Jan. 13: Pistons 124-119 Knicks – Cunningham scores 36 as the Pistons win their second of two games at the Garden.
- April 10: Knicks 106-115 Pistons – The Pistons beat the Knicks at home in a playoff preview.
The Pistons are still a betting underdog heading into their first-round series against the Knicks, but Detroit hopes it can parlay its regular-season success to a series victory.
Central Division dominance in NBA playoffs
The Central Division, arguably the most competitive division in the NBA this season, is the only one to feature four playoff teams.
And these aren’t cheapies, either. All four teams got an automatic qualification with a top-six seeding: the Cleveland Cavaliers (No. 1 seed), Indiana Pacers (No. 4), Milwaukee Bucks (No. 5) and Pistons (No. 6).
But even though the Pistons are familiar with all these opponents, it could be a while before they match up with any of them in this year’s playoffs. If the Pistons beat the Knicks, they would play the winner of the Boston Celtics vs Orlando Magic series in the second round.
Cade Cunningham fit for Game 1 of playoffs
Cunningham is dressed to impress in New York City, arriving at Madison Square Garden a few hours before tipoff wearing a salmon-colored coat.
Pistons Knicks scene at Madison Square Garden
Omari Sankofa II, in his fifth season as Pistons beat writer here at the Detroit Free Press, tweeted a photo two hours before tipoff at MSG. Follow Omari for Pistons content all year round.
What channel is Pistons vs Knicks on today?
- TV channel: ESPN, FanDuel Sports Network Detroit and MSG Network.
- Streaming: Fubo (free trial), Prime Video, ESPN app, FanDuel Sports Network app.
The Pistons and Knicks will play for a nationally televised audience on ESPN. Fans in the Metro Detroit market can also watch Game 1 on FanDuel Sports Network Detroit, featuring longtime Pistons TV announcers George Blaha and Greg Kelser on the call. They will call Games 1-3. Amazon’s Prime Video also lets you add FanDuel Sports Network to your package (with a free trial).
You can stream ESPN and ABC playoff games live this spring with Fubo, which offers a free trial.
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Pistons vs Knicks projected starting lineups
- Detroit: Cade Cunningham (PG), Tim Hardaway Jr. (SG), Ausar Thompson (SF), Tobias Harris (PF), Jalen Duren (C).
- New York: Jalen Brunson (PG), Josh Hart (SG), Mikal Bridges (SF), OG Anunoby (PF), Karl-Anthony Towns (C).
Pistons vs Knicks injury report
- Detroit: Jaden Ivey (out, fractured left fibula).
- New York: Ariel Hukporti (questionable, meniscus).
IVEY UPDATE: Pistons guard’s injury status for Knicks series
Knicks vs Pistons prediction
Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press: It’ll be a hard-fought series. The Pistons have proven they can beat this team. But over the course of a long series, home-court advantage and the perk of having two superstar scorers will ultimately tip the series in the Knicks’ favor. The pick: Knicks in 7.
Pistons vs Knicks betting odds for Game 1
Odds provided by BetMGM as of Saturday afternoon:
- Spread: Knicks by 7½.
- Over/under: 220½.
- Moneyline: Knicks -300, Pistons +240.
- Series winner: Knicks -425, Pistons +325.
Follow the Pistons in the NBA playoffs with the best coverage at freep.com/sports/pistons.
