When the Detroit Pistons split the series in New York there was palpable buzz coming out of Detroit that I could feel here in Ireland.
But I have to be honest, I had my concerns with the Pistons playing in their home building.
It’s sometimes more difficult for young players to perform at home, as they have obligations and distractions that aren’t there on the road, where they can just focus on the task at hand.
There is also the inevitable adrenaline rush and dump that comes from playing in front of your home crowd in the playoffs, especially for a young team that has never been there and is trying to show out for their home fans.
The Pistons came out poorly in both of their home games, which is why we are headed back to New York to face an elimination game.
Obviously, the Pistons would have preferred to win those games at home, as they now face a near impossible task of winning three straight playoff games to advance. They can’t think about that tonight, as it’s all about survival, and for one night, I actually prefer their chances on the road.
The Pistons have played better on the road
The best game of the series for the Pistons was their game two win in Madison Square Garden, but they also had a chance to win game one.
The Pistons had identical 22-19 home and road records this season, so they’ve been just as good on the road. In fact, they seem to thrive on it at times, more effectively channeling the energy of the crowd and not getting overly hyped.
Detroit has already beaten the Knicks three times in Madison Square Garden this season, one of the toughest buildings in the NBA, especially in the playoffs.
The Pistons just have to come out sharp, not commit copious turnovers and make the Knicks work for everything they get. They can’t miss opportunities to increase leads and most importantly, have to keep the crowd out of it as they did for most of game two.
I’ve said this many times, but the Pistons are playing with house money here and really have nothing to lose, as this season will be judged a success either way, so they should just play their game and put the pressure on the Knicks, who are under plenty of it from fans that expect a deep playoff run after they went all in to acquire KAT, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges.
The Pistons are in a big hole, but they’ve been good on the road this season and Cade Cunningham has had some monster games in Madison Square Garden, so they have a puncher’s chance to send this one back to Detroit.