DETROIT vs KNICKS
2025 NBA PLAYOFFS - FIRST ROUND
PISTONS STEAL GAME 5 IN THE GARDEN!
Cade drops 28/8/8 and silences the MSG crowd
First Round Series Breakdown
New York managed to squeak out a Game 1 win largely due to Detroit's cold shooting night — nothing sustainable. Cade responded in Game 2 by bulldozing their defense, dropping dimes like he moonlights as a Fed. The refs and the NBA went ahead and stole games 3 and 4, and we weren't even worried about it. Then GAME 5 HAPPENED! Cade Cunningham became the king of New York. Knicks fans literally cried. Pistons in 6.
Sorry Spike Lee, but Detroit Basketball is BACK and New York still hasn't won a chip since '73.
DETROIT
Record: 44-38 (6th Seed)
Key Players: Cade Cunningham (assassin, goat, MSG silencer), Jalen Duren (glass cleaner), Malik Beasley (actual 6th man)
Strengths: Controlled chaos. Cade dictates tempo, defense swarms, and every rebound is a declaration of war. Team is growing fangs in real time. Game 5 showed they can win on the road when it matters.
Playoff Experience: New core, new culture. Nobody's scared — they're the problem now.
NEW YORK KNICKS
Record: Record: 52-30 (3rd Seed)
Key Players: Jalen Brunson (flopper, choked in Game 5), Karl Anthony Towns (kitty cat), OG Anunonby (pretty good defender, ngl)
Strengths: Thibs only plays starters, but they aren't even as good as the Piston's bench. They're completely gassed after Game 5's overtime thriller. Zero adjustments when Cade gets hot.
Playoff Experience: Familiar faces, same playoff cap. They've been here — and lost here — before. Now they're on the ropes.
