Despite being a 51-win, third-seed team, some considered the New York Knicks to be underachievers.
High expectations followed big trades for Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, and a $200 million contract for OG Anunoby. The Knicks were expected to be top contenders. However, they had a 0-10 record against the league`s best teams (Oklahoma City, Boston, and Cleveland) and a 1-3 record against the Detroit Pistons, their first-round opponent. In Game 1 on Saturday, the Pistons even had an eight-point lead over the Knicks through three quarters, putting them in a difficult position.
Then, suddenly, a 21-0 scoring surge erupted, turning Madison Square Garden into a frenzy. The Knicks seized control and secured a 123-112 victory.
It might be easy to blame Detroit`s lack of playoff experience, and that wouldn`t be entirely wrong. During that fourth quarter run, the Pistons seemed overwhelmed. As analyst Doris Burke pointed out, they looked `shellshocked.` While inexperience is often a simplistic explanation, in this case, it was evident. The Pistons haven`t faced the intensity of a late-game playoff atmosphere like this before. They will learn from this experience.
The Knicks, conversely, are familiar with this stage. While they have weaknesses, they are prepared for this moment as a team specifically constructed for playoff basketball. New York`s management studied Boston`s successful model and aimed to replicate it using all available resources.
They focused on acquiring versatile two-way wing players, a stretch power forward, and an elite scorer. Although the Knicks` defense wasn`t strong during the regular season, they possess the potential to apply significant playoff pressure. Detroit`s star point guard, Cade Cunningham, who averaged 31 points against the Knicks this season, struggled to operate in Game 1. Anunoby played with exceptional physicality on defense. Towns extended his defense beyond the three-point line, and New York consistently sent waves of secondary defenders, challenging Detroit`s supporting players to beat them.
This strategy worked for a while. Tobias Harris and Malik Beasley scored a combined 45 points, but only 11 of those came in the second half. By the time Detroit was caught in the momentum of the 21-0 run, there was no way out. Josh Hart aggressively defended Cunningham, who appeared visibly rattled by the physicality. Hart`s disruptive defense ignited New York`s transition game, leading to fastbreak points and drives to the basket.
Again, Detroit`s inexperience was a factor. New York likely won`t overwhelm a team like Boston with 25 points off turnovers if they meet in the second round. They might not even repeat this performance against Detroit.
However, this style of basketball is generally sustainable for the Knicks, who are capable of playing much better defense than they showed in the regular season. This is precisely how Leon Rose envisioned his team performing in April, May, and hopefully June: consistent perimeter pressure, high energy, and two elite scorers in Jalen Brunson and Towns, who scored 34 and 23 points respectively on Saturday.
Adding Anunoby`s 23 points, that`s 80 points from New York`s three key players, which felt reasonable even against a tough defensive team like Detroit. It`s important not to overreact to one game, but it`s also crucial to recognize that New York was built for this time of year. Forget the regular-season struggles against top teams. None of that matters now. What matters is New York`s performance on Saturday and whether they can maintain it.
Jasper Hawthorne