The portrayal and storylines are plentiful in framing the Knicks as they face a formidable challenge trying to win their best-of-seven opening round series against the resolute Detroit Pistons. The Knicks hold a fragile 3-2 lead as Game 6 will be played tonight in Detroit.
Even before the Knicks’ distressing and concerning 106-103 Game 5 home loss at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night, there was hearsay that Knicks president Leon Rose would make sweeping changes if the team lost the series to the Pistons. Tom Thibodeau would be out and players moved, with Mikal Bridges and Mitchell Robinson the most likely candidates on the trade market.
It was the usual overreaction to adversity. Thibodeau, while imperfect, has virtually maximized a roster that lacks sufficient size and depth. He produced a 51-victory regular season and No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, one more win than last season’s 50, although the Knicks entered the playoffs then as the No. 2 seed.
Related: The Knicks strategize how to counter the physical Pistons in tough playoff series
As for the players, Bridges has by and large been the steady if not the elite two-way standout many followers of the team were expecting him to be when Rose acquired him last summer from the Nets for five first-round picks. Robinson is a difference maker when healthy, exemplified by his 13 points and 11 rebounds in 23 minutes in a strong Game 5 performance.
But the focus for the Knicks and their passionate supporters should be the here and now. They are in a 1990s-style battle with the Pistons — a physical, hard-fought matchup. The five games going into tonight have been settled by an average of 4.2 points, with the Knicks’ nine-point (123-112) Game 1 win at the Garden the largest margin of victory.
The Knicks, whose trend has been to fall behind and play catch up in this series, pulling out wins late in games, squandered an opportunity on Tuesday to close out their first playoff series on their homecourt since 1999.
“We got to figure out how to come out of halftime better,” said Knicks forward Josh Hart. “I think it’s the third game in a row, I’m blanking on the game, Game 1 and 2, we go into halftime with a lead and then we go into the fourth quarter down, so we got to figure that out. We got to come out of halftime more aggressive and punch first.”
Jalen Brunson, who finished with just 16 points on 4-16 shooting, scored less than 30 points for the first time in the series. He was outshined by the Pistons’’ascending 23-year-old 6’6” point guard Cade Cunningham, who posted a game-high 24 points in addition to eight rebounds and eight assists. Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff had his group ready to compete after a non-call on the Knicks’ Josh Hart who made contact on Tim Hardaway Jr. on a 3-point attempt to end Game 4 on Sunday, handing the Pistons a crushing 94-93 defeat.
Now the Knicks’ charge is to solely be locked into Game 6 in what will be an amped, hostile environment in Detroit. In a loss, Game 7 would be held Saturday at MSG.
