Pistons collapse in fourth quarter, drop playoff opener against Knicks

Coty M. Davis, The Detroit News on Apr 19, 2025

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NEW YORK — The Detroit Pistons dropped Game 1 of their first-round playoff series, 123-112, to the New York Knicks on Saturday at Madison Square Garden.

Tobias Harris led Detroit with a team-best 25 points, while Cade Cunningham added a double-double with 21 points and 12 assists.

Detroit came into the fourth quarter holding an eight-point lead. However, back-to-back turnovers at the start of the period started the Knicks' comeback. The Pistons' mishaps led to the Knicks outscoring the Pistons 15-7 at the beginning of the period.

Cameron Payne (11 points) extended the run with a 3-pointer, which tied the game at 98 at the 7:47 mark. On New York's next possession, Jalen Brunson connected on a layup, which gave the Knicks a 100-98 lead. The Knicks would go on to outscore Detroit 28-7 through the first six minutes of the quarter.

Brunson scored a game-high 34 points, with 12 coming in the final period. The Pistons recorded seven of their 20 turnovers in the fourth quarter.

Observations and notes

— 1k for Tobias Harris: In one of his best scoring performances of the season, Harris reached an impressive milestone during Game 1. He scored his 1,000th career playoff point on a mid-range jumper late in the first quarter.

— Foul trouble: The Pistons had to battle through a handful of foul trouble during their playoff series opener against the Knicks. The biggest one came from Jalen Duren, who recorded three of his four personal fouls in the first half. As a result, it appeared that his foul trouble played a role in his subpar performance, finishing with seven points and six rebounds.

— Injury for Stu?: Isaiah Stewart played 19 minutes and finished the game with five rebounds and two blocks. However, late in the fourth quarter, Stewart exited the game with a potential lower leg injury.

Up next

The Pistons will continue their first-round series with Game 2 against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday.

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