NBA Playoffs: Pistons Stun New York to Force Game 6 Showdown

NEW YORK — Before an all-important Game 5, J.B. Bickerstaff conveyed a clear directive to his squad.

We've conquered numerous challenges, haven’t we?" he stated before the match. "So why stop now?

The Pistons rose to his challenge, enduring a grueling, physically demanding, frequently error-prone Tuesday evening at Madison Square Garden to prolong the first-round series with a 106-103 victory .

Game 5 was like fighting in a phone booth with multiple lead swaps and tied scores: eight times equalized, 14 shifts in advantage, and 21 missed foul shots between them. 51 Personal fouls were committed by both teams, but neither could create a lead greater than ten points. As before, the game came down to the final moments; however, this time around, it was the Pistons who excelled under pressure. Detroit’s standout player, Cade Cunningham (who scored 24 points despite making only six out of seventeen shots, grabbed eight rebounds, dished out eight assists, made two steals, and blocked one shot over thirty-seven minutes), sealed their victory by sinking a pair of free throws with just five seconds left on the clock, thus preventing elimination for his team.

Cunningham's opponent, New York Knicks standout Jalen Brunson, had his worst performance of the postseason, managing only 16 points on 4-of-16 shooting along with seven assists and three rebounds during 36 minutes of play. Despite being named the league’s newest Clutch Player of the Year, he failed to score in the last five minutes of the game. He even spent some time on the bench when it appeared he rolled his right ankle with slightly more than three minutes left. Both Brunson and Josh Hart were impacted; Hart headed to the locker room after colliding mid-air with Cunningham and taking a hard fall. Both ended up trapped at the scorers' table for 2 1/2 minutes without a break in the game. —or head coach Tom Thibodeau using his last timeout.

Styles make rockfights

From the start, the Pistons were assertive, jumping ahead with a 9-2 run as the Knicks appeared sluggish offensively, even committing a shot-clock violation during their initial possession. However, New York gradually found its rhythm thanks to Karl-Anthony Towns and Hart executing a successful give-and-go play that resulted in an emphatic Dunk from Towns, energizing the crowd at Madison Square Garden.

Despite their struggles, neither squad managed to score efficiently during much of the opening period, managing only a combined shooting percentage of 16 out of 48 from the floor and 4 out of 16 beyond the arc. However, towards the end of the quarter, a few fast-break buckets along with two free throws by Brunson allowed New York to take a narrow lead of 23-22 at the conclusion of the first twelve minutes.

The intense, gritty struggle persisted as Knicks reserve center Mitchell Robinson excelled on the rebounding front, securing nine total boards—seven of which were offensive—in just 12 minutes of play during the first half. This skirmish around the rim led to an unfortunate incident within the Pistons' own ranks when Jalen Duren accidentally struck his teammate Tobias Harris in the face near the basket, causing the experienced forward to collapse in agony.

Harris would quickly recover, scoring seven rapid points and making several robust defensive plays — including one notable block. uncalled goaltend , but hey, Detroit was due —to aid in powering a mid-quarter surge that placed Detroit ahead of a Knicks squad finding it extremely difficult to generate clear shots or convert tough ones.

Despite the slow start, New York continued pushing through. Even with Brunson struggling initially—scoring only one out of six shots from the field and making just four out of seven free throws in the first half—OG Anunoby and Towns together scored 22 points in the opening period. Meanwhile, Hart contributed significantly by providing four assists, which helped put the Knicks ahead with a score of 50-49 at halftime.

Throughout the first half, both squads grappled with foul issues, as referees enforced stricter calls compared to previous games in the series. Detroit’s Duren accrued three personal fouls early on. With reserve center Isaiah Stewart out due to knee swelling and third-string big man Paul Reed already active, coach Bickerstaff found himself at odds with his preferred strategy and opted for a smaller lineup instead. He moved the highly athletic Thompson to the power forward position. However, this adjustment came with drawbacks; it left their rebounding vulnerable, allowing New York to secure an impressive twelve offensive rebounds during the half.

The positive aspect was that it gave us the chance to witness Ausar defending the rim ferociously;

Cade in full

Cunningham emerged from the locker room eager to leave an indelible mark on the game right as the third quarter started. As an All-Star point guard, he swiftly moved the ball during fast breaks and executed a perfect lob pass for a Thompson slam dunk. On drives towards the hoop, Cunningham snatched the ball away from Anunoby before skillfully navigating through New York’s defense using picks and rolls. When faced with double teams, he quickly passed the ball, relying confidently on Duren to create scoring opportunities—many of which concluded with another powerful finish by Thompson near the rim.

The outcome was a 20-9 scoring streak that handed the Pistons a double-digit advantage over the Knicks, who were vexed not only by Detroit’s precise defense but also by their own frustrations. definitely sensed an uneven refereeing For stretches. A late push could bring New York within three points, making it 77-74 before the last period begins.

Early in the fourth quarter, the teams swapped leads, putting themselves back into the familiar territory of being locked in a close game as they had been numerous times throughout the series. Cunningham, Duren, Thompson, along with the remainder of the Pistons squad, managed to make crucial plays that allowed them to hold off last-minute three-pointers from Bridges and Anunoby, thereby maintaining their advantage. remarkable breakthrough season heading back to Detroit for Game 6 of this best-of-seven series on Thursday.