The Detroit Pistons held off the Knicks in Madison Square Garden to force a game six in Detroit.
The Pistons have played better on the road in this series, including tonight, when they got huge games from their entire starting lineup.
This was the most satisfying win in a long time and not just because the Pistons forced the Knicks to get back on a plane to Detroit.
The Pistons playing important developmental minutes
You can’t buy the type of experience the young Pistons are getting right now, and to their credit, they responded tonight.
They just faced down an elimination game in one of the toughest buildings in sports and looked like the more composed team for most of the game.
Regardless of what happens in the rest of it, these are important games that are laying the foundation for long-term success in Detroit. This series is far from over, and unlike the last time the Pistons made the playoffs, this should be the first of many appearances.
Cade Cunningham is a superstar
Cade still had five turnovers tonight, which I talked about earlier, but most of them were off tough defense by the Knicks.
After having a quiet game for the first three quarters, Cunningham came alive in the 4th, scoring 13 points and hitting clutch shot after clutch shot. He got hammered a few times at the rim, but even his misses led to Jalen Duren putbacks when the entire Knicks defense collapsed on Cade.
He made big defensive plays, got to the line and stayed cool in the big moment. I know he was probably killing himself for missing the big shot in game four, but he came right back tonight and dominated the 4th quarter.
This is exactly what we wanted to see from Cade. He’s ready for the moment and is a big game player.
Ausar Thompson showed what he can do
I’ve been screaming for the Pistons to get Ausar Thompson the ball more moving towards the hoop, especially when Duren catches the ball in the middle of the floor off the short roll.
That play was there all night tonight, as Duren racked up six assists, finally making himself a part of the offense, and most of them went to Ausar Thompson for dunks.
Thompson attacked the space and got behind the Knicks’ defense all night, finishing with 22 points in what was the best game of his career.
His defense was smothering, and he’s such a connector on that end who makes everyone else better. As soon as Ausar left the game, the Knicks promptly went on big runs, which was no coincidence.
The Pistons never make it easy, but that was precisely the game we wanted to see from their two most important young players. The rest is just gravy, but you know the Pistons want to treat the home fans to a win.
They survived. Now they just have to do it again.