New York, N.Y- New York Knicks fans were anxious to see how their Knicks would look against the Detroit Pistons in game one of the Eastern Conference Playoffs round one matchup against the Detroit Pistons.
After losing three out of four of their matchups against the Pistons during the regular season, it was not clear which Knicks team would show up on Saturday night. Nonetheless, the stage was set as the fans packed out Madison Square Garden to watch the Knicks go head to head with the Pistons.
The Knicks were off to a strong start in the first half of the contest as they finished the half up one point. OG Anunoby was the star of the first half as he poured in 19 points, three rebounds, and a couple of steals; Anunoby was tasked with being the primary defender on Cade Cunningham and held the star to six points in the half while forcing him to shoot a 30 percent field goal percentage.
In the third-quarter, the Knicks were not looking much like themselves, the Pistons outscored the Knicks 36-26 which was a 10 point swing that put the Knicks down eight points going into the fourth. Tom Thibodeau’s team was looking for answers.
In the fourth-quarter, Cam Payne answered the call; The Knicks were looking for some energy and that is exactly what Payne brought as he entered the game to start the quarter. His energy and tenacity on defense helped the Knicks force a five second violation on the pistons to start the quarter and the rest was history. The Knicks went off on a run after that and in the quarter Payne scored 11 points.
“I thought Cam gave us a huge lift… He’s a great energy guy, everyday he’s the same… he’s a catalyst, he gets in there and he makes things happen,” said Coach Tom Thibodeau.
Star point guard Jalen Brunson finished the night with 34 points as he scored 23 of those in the second half after a poor first half while also adding eight assists. Karl-Anthony Towns also gave great contributions finishing with 23 points, 11 rebounds, four steals, and two blocks; if the Knicks are getting this type of contribution from their two stars it’s going to be hard for anyone to beat them.
The Knicks’ big fourth quarter helped them earn a 123-112 victory against the Pistons to take a one game lead in the best-of-seven series. The Knicks will be back at home to face the Pistons for game two as they will look to take a commanding two game lead on their quest to an NBA Championship.
