NEW YORK — For the second consecutive game, there would be a fourth quarter New York Knicks run.
This time, however, it would not be 21 unanswered points, the Detroit Pistons would eventually stop the bleeding, and the Garden would fall silent in the closing seconds.
Detroit withstood a late Knicks charge in the fourth quarter Monday night to steal Game 2, 100-94, to tie its first-round NBA playoff series at one game apiece.
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Detroit carried an eight-point lead into the fourth quarter — just like it did in Game 1 Saturday. And just like they did Saturday, the Knicks slowly chipped away at the deficit with intense team defense and a flurry of buckets.
With 1:15 to play, the Knicks tied the score at 94 when Jalen Brunson worked his way into the paint to find a cutting Josh Hart for a two-handed slam.
On the next possession down, however, Dennis Schröder laced a massive 3-pointer with 56 seconds left to give Detroit a lead it would not relinquish. The Knicks pushed the ball up the court and Mikal Bridges found a gap to uncork an uncontested 3 at the top of the key, but it clanked off the front of the rim.
Detroit secured the board, and Schröder converted one of two free throws to seal the game. With the victory, the Pistons snapped a 15-game postseason losing streak that dates to 2008.
Pistons guard Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 33 points and 11 rebounds, while Brunson again posted a monster fourth quarter to finish with 37 points and seven asissts.
The Pistons asked Cunningham, Detroit’s 23-year-old first-time All-Star guard, to push the pace and get buckets in transition. Cunningham went 11-of-21 from the field and sought out contact with his slashes to the basket. In Game 1, Cunningham attempted just five free throws; in Game 2 Monday night, he had surpassed that mark just before the end of the second quarter and went 10-of-12 from the line.
The Knicks struggled out of intermission, starting the third period 1-of-11 from the field. Although they would course correct throughout the rest of the third, the slow start allowed Detroit to build a solid, eight-point lead headed into the fourth.
That was the same margin the Pistons carried into the final frame Saturday, when Detroit melted down and allowed New York to ignite on a 21-0 run.
The Pistons also outworked New York on the glass, creating second-chance opportunities throughout the game. Detroit won the game on the boards, 53-44.
One other difference for the Knicks from Saturday’s game to Monday’s: New York’s bench simply could not carve out meaningful contributions. Whereas Cameron Payne dropped 11 of his 14 points Saturday in the fourth quarter, he played just 4 minutes Monday and did not record any stat but three player fouls and one turnover.
Overall, the Pistons bench outscored New York’s by a margin of 35-8.
Both teams head to Detroit for Games 3 and 4 of the series, to be played Thursday and Sunday.
