The New York Knicks secured a 94-93 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday, April 27. Tom Thibodeau’s team is now one game away from booking a spot in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
alen Brunson was once again the star of the show. New York’s star scorer ended the game with 32 points, 11 assists and 5 rebounds. He shot 50% from the field and 57.1% from three-point range.
During the game, Brunson’s skills trainer, Dave Williams, shared a message via his Instagram story.
“JB really treat the whole NBA like me in the summer time,” Williams posted.
New York’s series against Detroit has been highlighted by elite guard play from both teams. Brunson and Cade Cunningham have stood toe to toe over the opening four games. Both are among the elite ball-handlers in the East, and neither have given an inch throughout the series thus far.
Nevertheless, Brunson is the best player in this matchup. Not only is he scoring at an elite level, but he’s dictating the tempo of the game and manipulating the Pistons’ defense at will. Whether the loss is easy to stomach or not, Brunson is teaching Detroit’s young defense some valuable lessons in these matchups.
Brunson Praises Knicks Defensive Duo
Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby have both thrived as high-level defenders to begin the postseason. Their positional versatility has ensured the Knicks are hard to break down, both on the perimeter and on the wings.
During his postgame news conference, Brunson praised the budding defensive partnership between the two forwards.
“They’ve been great,” Brunson said. “They’ve been great all year, regardless of what people say or think. It’s tough to guard people in this league. We have 2 guys like that who play hard every possession. I like our chances.”
Despite Bridges’ impressive showing on defense, he has to start finding his rhythm on the offensive end. He ended Sunday’s game with 8 points and six rebounds, hitting just 3 of his 12 shots.
Knicks Karl-Anthony Towns on Physicality
The series between New York and Detroit has been somewhat of a throwback in terms of physicality. Both sides have been playing close to the line, and the games have been reminiscent of contests from the mid-to-late 90s.
Karl-Anthony Towns appears to be embracing that style of play. He explained why he’s getting enjoyment out of these matchups when speaking to the media after the game.
“This is great for kids watching who haven’t been able to see old-school basketball to see this kind of reminiscent game of old school physicality,” Towns said. “I’m just honored to be part of it.”
If the Knicks can get one more win, they will likely be booking a ticket to face the Boston Celtics in the second round. Of course, the Celtics must navigate their own opening series against the Orlando Magic. Still, a matchup between New York and Boston is guaranteed to be box office, meaning fans around the world will be counting down the days until that series gets underway.
For now, though, the Knicks can’t afford to look beyond the Pistons. After all, J.B. Bickerstaff’s team won’t go down without a fight.
