Detroit basketball!!
When the Pistons acquired veteran journeyman Dennis Schroeder, as part of the five-team Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors trade, right before the deadline, the expectation was he could alleviate some of the shot creation pressure and ball handling responsibility off star Cade Cunningham.
What they did not anticipate him to do was win Detroit their first playoff game since 2008.
Cunningham had his postseason coming out party with a double-double, 33 points and 12 boards, Schroder made the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 55 seconds left, and the Pistons snapped their NBA-record, 15-game postseason losing streak by beating the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, 100-94 on Monday night in Game 2 of their best of seven playoff series.
“It’s a great feeling. It feels good to represent the city like we did tonight,” Cunningham said. “It’s something that the city been waiting on for a long time, so we feel good about it and we’re ready to get back to the crib and perform in front of them.”
Schroder, who was not even on the Pistons roster until a highly publicized acquisition in early February, buried the 3-pointer after the Knicks went on a 16-4 run to knot it at 94 all on ‘Swiss Army Knife’ Josh Hart’s dunk. He finished with 20 points off the bench.
Behind the on-court leadership and stellar play of Cunningham, the Pistons raced out to an early lead, going up by seven, 25-18, after one quarter, although it helped that the Knicks went 0-of-8 from 3-point range to open the game. That pattern continued for much of the night, with Detroit leading almost the entire game, and by as much as 15 points in the third quarter but never pulling away.
“We got bigger things we’re out here for,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “So, our focus, and that’s why our guys have been able to grow and be consistent, because they just think about the now and I thought they did a great job tonight of staying in the moment and doing what we needed to do.”
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Knicks offense was stuck in the mud. Jalen Brunson, in particular, and the Knicks in general, were looking for calls to the detriment of good shots. However, as is happening in series throughout the playoffs so far, the referees were swallowing their whistles and letting them play, allowing more physical contact. The result was missed opportunities and bad shots for New York, on a night they had a 94 offensive rating.
Eventually things turned in their favor. In the fourth, the Knicks made their run to get back in the contest, even tying the game up with 1:15 on the clock, but that was when Schroeder, with ice water in his veins, connected on his clutch 3-pointer.
Brunson scored a game-high 37 points for the No. 3-seeded Knicks, but Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby were each limited to 10 after both finished with 23 points in the opener on Saturday.
“And now it’s on us to respond,” Brunson said.
The Knicks had plenty of opportunities. Mikal Bridges, who had a strong game overall with 19 points, missed three wide open looks at 3-pointers late. Brunson, the betting favorite to win Clutch Player of the Year, missed an open look at a 3 in the final seconds as well.
The Pistons secured their win on the road, and now the series is tied heading back to Detroit on Thursday for Game 3, with the Knicks’ offense suddenly in the spotlight.
