Apr 19, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris (12) looks to drive past New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) and guard Josh Hart (3) in Game One of the First Round of the NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
History is written by the victors, but the New York Knicks’ latest postseason victims still had plenty to say.
The Detroit Pistons’ attempt to crash the latest Madison Square Garden party went awry on Saturday night, as they fell victim to a 123-112 comeback victory for the Knicks. New York leads the best-of-seven series 1-0 with Game 2 scheduled for Monday night in Manhattan (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG/TNT).
“Our execution failed us,” Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said, per Coty Davis of The Detroit News. “This is a learning experience for us to understand the importance of each and every possession. We have to go out, learn from it, and be better the next time.”
Apr 19, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) looks to drive past New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) and center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) in Game One of the First Round of the NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
While Detroit finally appears on an Eastern Conference bracket again, another dire streak is still in tact: the Pistons still have not won even a single playoff game since the 2008 Eastern Conference Finals and have dropped each of their last 15 postseason showings, which stands as the longest futile playoff streak in NBA history (just ahead of a 13-game tally set by the Knicks between 2001 and 2012).
Many observers expect the Pistons to give the Knicks a fight but few are realistically expecting the sixth-ranked Detroiters to actually prevail in the first-round set. Saturday, however, provided the Pistons ample opportunities to come away with a 1-0 series lead, ones that slipped through their fleeting grip.
After the Knicks jumped out to an early 10-3 advantage, the Pistons never trailed by more than six until the final period, and narrowed the gap to two by intermission thanks to 22 first half tallies for Tobias Harris.
Despite shooting struggles from franchise face Cade Cunningham (3-of-10, two turnovers while being shadowed by OG Anunoby), Harris’ Pistons held the lead for the last eight-plus minutes of the third quarter and carried a 91-83 tally into the final frame, one that pacified an MSG crowd renowned for its relentlessness.
But a grim opening to the fourth foreshadowed the Pistons’ ultimate fate: falling victim to a New York press, Detroit was immediately called for a five-second violation and its second possession featured another timed infraction, this one being of the 24-second shot clock variety. Karl-Anthony Towns made the Pistons pay on both occasions, as sunken shots after the opening couple of miscues planted the seeds of hope for the Manhattanites.
Energized by the early burst, the Knicks staged a run of 21 consecutive points, all but four coming from the arms of either Jalen Brunson or Cameron Payne. All that and more (such as eight turnovers over the last dozen) placed the Pistons on the wrong end of a 40-21 score in the final period, allowing the metropolitan celebration to officially commence.
Beyond an understandable sense of reactionary melancholy, the despondent Detroiters kept things positive in the aftermath. Though he was limited to only three points in the second half, Saturday was no doubt a night of redemption for Harris, a victim of last year’s New Yorkers: as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, Harris was infamously held to a mere two shot attempts in the Knicks’ series-clinching 118-115 victory in Game 6 of the prior opening round.
Apr 19, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris (12) looks to drive past New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) and guard Josh Hart (3) in Game One of the First Round of the NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Harris was at the head of the Motor City hype train: per Madeline Kenny of the New York Post, the former Sixer said the Detroiters’ confidence was at “an all-time high” after giving the Knicks everything they could handle on opening night of pro basketball’s grandest production.
“We’re in the playoffs. We know what time it is,” Harris said, per Kenney. “This group is always about bouncing back and making sure we’re focusing, our energy level is where it needs to be. That’s why vets like myself are here to make sure this group’s spirit is up. … We’re excited and we’re embracing this challenge. Drop our first game, but we’ll be ready to go for Game 2.”
“It’s definitely a learning experience,” said Cunningham, who recovered well enough to post a 21-point, 12-assists double-double, per CJ Holmes of the New York Daily News. “It’s something I’ve never done before or been a part of … This game got away from us and I’m just ready for Game 2.”
