The Detroit Pistons vs. New York Knicks has been the most competitive and compelling series of the entire NBA playoffs so far, as every game has been close.
The Pistons find themselves staring at elimination tonight down 3-1, but the series could easily be 2-2 or even 3-1 in favor of Detroit if a couple of things bounce their way, including the blown no-call that ended game four.
But hypotheticals don’t matter, and in this series, there have been far bigger ones than what things might look like if the Pistons got a call.
They’ve been a man short in nearly every game, as there were times they needed a bucket they didn’t get, needed someone other than Cade Cunningham to break down a defense and score consistently, times when they needed a big body to get a stop on Karl-Anthony Towns that didn’t come.
The frustrating part is that the Pistons may already have the players they need, but they are sitting on the bench, so it’s fair to wonder what this series might look like if both Jaden Ivey and Isaiah Stewart were playing.
They aren’t, so it doesn’t really matter, and it feels like the Pistons are waiting for a miracle that isn’t coming.
Pistons injuries vs. Knicks: Is Isaiah Stewart playing tonight?
Isaiah Stewart’s injury status hasn’t changed. He is still listed as questionable, which tells me he is very unlikely to play tonight.
To be honest, I didn’t think we’d see him again in this series after he limped off in game 1, as Stewart isn’t the type of to exaggerate an injury and he looked to be struggling.
Stewart’s knee “inflammation” is probably more than that, so the Pistons will likely have to win three games in a row and win the series for us to see Stew again.
It’s a shame for Stewart, who worked his butt off to get his team in this spot and hasn’t been able to enjoy the fruits of his labor, but it’s also a problem, as he is very important to the Pistons and has missed a lot of games over the last three years.
Jaden Ivey will not be returning in this series no matter what happens, another shame, as the Pistons certainly could have used his scoring.
It will always be a series of “what ifs” but all the Pistons can do is survive tonight and see what happens. It’s not over yet and only takes one win for the momentum to swing back to Detroit.
How to watch Pistons vs. Knicks
You have a number of options for this game, (7:30 PM ET tip off) as it is being shown on FanDuel Sports Network Detroit, TNT, TRUTV and MAX. I’m going to be honest and say I am not sure what some of those are.
You can also listen on good old 950 AM if that’s your thing.
The Pistons will need to play a perfect game tonight to send this one back to Detroit and treat their fans to at least one more home game this season.