Heading into the 2025 postseason, one of the biggest questions for the Detroit Pistons was how the young team would handle playing in a heightened atmosphere. They’ve managed to put any doubts of succumbing to pressure to rest, as they’ve held their own with the New York Knicks.
Lack of experience was apparent towards the end of Game 1, as the Knicks pulled off a 21-0 run to secure a victory. However, prior to that spurt, the Pistons didn’t seem like the moment was too big for them. More importantly, Detroit came out and responded in a big way in Game 2.
Similar to the opening matchup of the series, the Pistons stood their ground and arguably looked like the better team. New York rallied again late, but their efforts weren’t enough this time around. Between their physical defense and a strong performance from Cade Cunningham, the Pistons stole a game on the road before taking the series back to Detroit.
Picking up a win in front of a packed MSG audience had many people in and around the NBA praising the Pistons. Among those to give them their flowers was longtime analyst Zach Lowe. He applauded the level of physicality Detroit brought defensively and shined a light on Cunningham continuing to blossom into a superstar in real time.
Could not be more impressed with Detroit. Had NYK offense out of rhythm damn near the whole game. Hard to win in 2025 shooting 6/27 on 3s and they did it. Tough, physical team. Cade is ready for all of this.
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) April 22, 2025
Coming off a victory like this, the Pistons now find themselves in a rare position. Despite being the lower seed, they’ve moved into the driver’s seat of this series. Now heading back to their home floor, Detroit has an opportunity to take a commanding lead over the Knicks.
Winning one on the road was essential, but the Pistons still have a lot of work to do moving forward. They’ll look to keep their momentum rolling Thursday night for Game 3.
