As heartbreaking as it was for the Detroit Pistons to miss out on their chance to snap the franchise's postseason losing streak, there were a ton of positives to take from Game 1 in New York.
If these things continue to go right and Detroit gets more production from their young players, the outcome could be different in game 2 tonight.
The vets showed up on the road
The acquisitions of Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley, and Tim Hardaway Jr. didn't make headlines last summer, but the veteran trio are some of the biggest reasons for the Pistons' success this season. And in Game 1, they kept Detroit afloat while Cade Cunningham got his playoff legs under him. They combined for 64 points, and hit 13 of their 25 three-point attempts. Experience matters in the playoffs, and having these three shooters who have felt the atmosphere of the playoffs, and experienced the highs and lows of postseasons basketball was invaluable for Detroit.
Now they just need to maintain that level of production, and bring the young core along with them.
Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson got whatever they wanted, and the game was still close
The Brunson-Towns duo has been a nightmare for the Pistons this season, and it was more of the same in Game 1, with Brunson pouring in 34 points and 8 assists, while KAT was dominant and efficient, scoring 25 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, dishing 5 assists, and making 10 of his 14 shots.
But despite that, the Pistons were in control for most of this game. Up eight in the 4th quarter on the road, despite the two best opposing players decently well, is a good position to be in. The Pistons' defense was grimy and swarming, the offense had picked up in the 3rd, and Cade was starting to look like himself leading up to that 21-0 Knicks run.
Detroit played well enough to win for about 40 minutes. Now they just have to keep it up for 48.
Role players played well on the road
Generally, role players play better at home. But seeing the Pistons' supporting cast play so well in a hostile and raucous environment like MSG is a great sign for Detroit. The goal as a lower seed is always to just steal a game on the road, and having your role players play well away from home gives you that much more of a chance.
If Cade can come up to his regular season standard, and the others continue this level of play on the road, we should have a great series on our hands.