Pistons get loud warning ahead of game 3

The Detroit Pistons tied their first-round series with the Orlando Magic behind a dominant third quarter in game two, but they are far from finished, just ask the Knicks. 

Detroit ran away with game two in the second half, but they still only won two quarters of the game and have only won three of the eight played so far in the series. Detroit only managed to score 98 points, so they can’t be feeling themselves too much even though it was a relief to get that first playoff win at home. 

The Knicks came into their series with the Hawks as heavy favorites and many people’s choice to make the Eastern Conference Finals, as everyone looked ahead to their second-round series with the Celtics. 

Everyone but the Hawks, who drove another knife into New York last night with late heroics from CJ McCollum. 

The Pistons can’t get lured into the same trap, or they will find themselves in the same position. 

The Pistons can’t rely too much on Cade Cunningham 

Jalen Brunson came up empty on the possible game winner last night in the waning seconds, and there was never any doubt he was going to take the shot. 

Brunson has been taking and making big shots for years, so this wasn’t unexpected, and the Hawks were ready. They trapped Brunson in the corner, he coughed it up, game over. 

The point is that the Hawks were daring anyone else to beat them, much the way the Magic did the Pistons in game one when Cade Cunningham went for 39 points and the rest of the team was broke. 

In game two, Cunningham racked up 11 assists (four in the first game), was better about getting his teammates involved, and the Pistons had five players in double figures after having just two in game one. 

Cunningham took just 19 shots in game two compared to 27 in game one, the Pistons moved the ball better and were much more difficult to defend, at least in the second half. Detroit still has a long way to go to cracking this Magic defense, but the blueprint is there, which is to move the ball, make Orlando rotate and attack what is there. 

The same can be said for New York, as Brunson had more assists and fewer shots in their game one win with all five of the Knicks starters scoring in double figures. 

The Pistons can’t get lured into isolation hero ball against the Magic and need to keep sharing and moving the ball to avoid the same fate New York suffered last night. 

The heavily favored Knicks going down 2-1 should be a loud warning to the Pistons that their work is far from finished. 

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