With lower than a minute to go, the Detroit Pistons had been getting ready to shedding a second straight playoff recreation to a livid New York Knicks comeback. Then Dennis Schroder coolly drained a game-winner.
Schroder made his third three-pointer of the sport with 55 seconds to to, giving the Pistons a 97-94 lead on their option to a 100-94 victory in Sport 2 of their first-round sequence Monday evening.
The Pistons’ backup guard saved the day after the Knicks erased a 13-point Detroit lead within the final seven minutes.
Schroder completed with 20 factors because the Pistons gained their first playoff recreation for the reason that 2008 Jap Convention Finals, breaking a 15-game playoff shedding streak. His go-ahead three-pointer was the Pistons’ first made soar shot since his personal three-pointer, 9 minutes earlier.
Cade Cunningham led the way in which with 33 factors and 12 rebounds for the Pistons, who gained a recreation that had the physicality of a 90’s Knicks-Pistons recreation, full with the low scoring totals.
Detroit gained whereas making solely six three-pointers and delivering solely 11 assists, as a result of its offense got here from Cunningham’s relentless drives.
However it outrebounded the Knicks, 48-34, and acquired to the foul line for 34 free throw makes an attempt. Detroit’s defensive strain held the Knicks to 42% capturing and went 28.6% from three-point vary.
The Pistons held on by way of one other livid Knicks comeback. Two days after New York rode a 21-0 run to a Sport 1 win, the Knicks put collectively a 15-4 run, with Brunson scoring 14 of his 37 factors within the quarter.
However whereas the Knicks’ bench got here by way of Saturday, with Cameron Payne scoring 14 factors, it was the Pistons who acquired massive video games from their backups Monday. Schroder had 20, whereas Paul Reed, who did not play in any respect Saturday, shot 3-for-4 with a steal and a block and logged a +13 in his 11 minutes, irritating Karl-Anthony Cities.
The sequence heads again to Detroit on Thursday, the place the workforce has an opportunity to do one thing unprecedented in current Pistons historical past: Having a profitable streak within the playoffs.
