The New York Knicks failed to close out their series against the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday, April 29. Tom Thibodeau’s team must now go back on the road and try to secure a fourth win in enemy territory.
When speaking to the media after the game, Cade Cunningham sent a four-word message to the Knicks and their fanbase.
“Confident,” Cunningham said when asked if the Pistons can force a game seven. “We’ll be back.”
The Knicks struggled to find any rhythm on the offensive end. Jalen Brunson‘s 4-of-16 shooting was indicative of how the Pistons kept New York out of their usual flow. Detroit also upped the physicality and intensity, which put the Knicks in an uncomfortable situation.
With the series now at 3-2, the Knicks will undoubtedly want to secure a win on Thursday, May 1, to avoid a potential game seven. And avoiding that game seven is imperative. Not only is it risky to allow the Pistons to build some momentum, it also means the Knicks wouldn’t be getting any rest before free-falling into a second-round matchup against the Boston Celtics.
As such, Thibodeau’s team must prove Cunningham wrong. Detroit cannot be allowed back for a game seven.
Josh Hart Calls for Knicks to Compete
During his own postgame media availability, veteran forward Josh Hart called on his team to compete at a higher level. He noted how the Knicks cannot get sucked into worrying about the game officials or the physicality. Instead, New York must focus on what they do well and on executing at a high level.
“We’ve got to go out there and compete, we’ve got to go out there and be physical, not worry about the foul calls or refs or anything like that,” Hart said. “We’ve got to make sure we can control what we can control.”
Hart was one of New York’s better performers on Tuesday. He ended the night with 15 points on 7-of-13 shooting, while also dishing out six assists, grabbing seven rebounds, garnering two steals and swatting away two shots. He will need another all-action display on Thursday if the Knicks are going to close out the series on the road.
Karl-Anthony Towns Wants Knicks to Control Games
The Knicks have made a habit of chasing the game when coming into a fourth quarter. Thibodeau’s team often fights back to earn a win, but the strategy is a risky one, especially when the opponent is motivated.
During his postgame news conference, Karl-Anthony Towns admitted that the Knicks’ struggles in controlling the game caught up with them.
“We haven’t put ourselves in a position to get a commanding win,” Towns said. “We’ve been very gritty this whole series, and physical. And, it’s allowed us to find a way, a lot of times, to win…You can only do it so many times before it comes back to bite you. Tonight we put ourselves in the position and didn’t get that magical ending.”
Hopefully, we will see an aggressive version of the Knicks on Thursday, especially in terms of offense and controlling the outcome of the game. Detroit won’t go away easily, though, so New York should be prepared for a battle. Nevertheless, a game seven is too risky for the Knicks, so taking care of business on the road is their best option.
