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What Detroit Pistons fans need to know about Knicks entering playoffs
The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III shares insights on the New York Knicks on “The Pistons Pulse” podcast ahead of playoff series. Listen and subscribe!
We tasked our writers with Detroit Pistons vs. New York Knicks predictions for the 2025 NBA playoffs in a first-round series.
The Pistons’ 30-win improvement (14-68 to 44-38) ranks sixth in NBA history among 82-game seasons, and they became arguably the league’s best story on the way to securing a playoff spot for the first time since 2019.
The Knicks made two blockbuster deals before the season, acquiring Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns to complement All-NBA guard Jalen Brunson to vault into title contention on paper. But the team went 0-10 against the league’s three-best teams, and lost three of four to the Pistons.
The 3-seed Knicks have the experience and the pressure. The 6-seed Pistons have the togetherness, Detroit vs. Everybody mindset and a record playoff winless streak to bust.
Here’s how our four writers see the best-of-seven series playing out:
Jeff Seidel
Everything will hinge on Cade Cunningham, and he found the blueprint during the regular season. The Pistons beat the Knicks three out of four times, and Cunningham averaged 30.8 points and 8.3 assists in those games. But this is the playoffs, obviously. A different kind of animal. A different kind of war. The Pistons’ true test will be how fast they adjust — no, how fast they learn and grow — in this kind of basketball under this kind of pressure. My gut feeling: Cunningham will adjust quickly and lead them to the next stage. The pick: Pistons in 6.
Shawn Windsor
The Pistons match up well with New York. But this is playoff basketball, and as Malik Beasley said last week, toss regular season success out the window — the Pistons took three of four from the Knicks. New York will have home-court advantage and, more importantly, will have a few more places to get buckets. The pick: Knicks in 6.
Omari Sankofa II
It’ll be a hard-fought series. The Pistons have proven they can beat this team. But over the course of a long series, homecourt advantage and the perk of having two superstar scorers will ultimately tip the series in the Knicks’ favor. The pick: Knicks in 7.
Marlowe Alter
I would take five Knicks and one Piston in the first six selections if we were drafting rosters. The Pistons have some advantages, namely team defense, but New York has three different good defenders to throw at Cunningham, and Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau is a defensive guru who will force the ball to others. The Knicks have left something to be desired all season, but the Pistons don’t have enough consistent firepower to keep up with a dynamic Knicks offense. At least the Pistons’ record playoff winless streak ends. The pick: Knicks in 5.
[ MUST WATCH: Omari Sankofa II, Bryce Simon and James Edwards III joined forces for a special edition of the “The Pistons Pulse” — your go-to Detroit Pistons podcast, listen available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify). ]
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