DETROIT — The Knicks could have lost Game 4 at the buzzer — and if the referees had correctly called the foul on Tim Hardaway Jr., they probably would have.
They survived Game 1 because they went on an unprecedented 21-0 fourth-quarter run against a young Pistons team that forgot how to play basketball in its first playoff appearance since 2019. They lost Game 2 at Madison Square Garden in disappointing fashion, then won Games 3 and 4 on last-second near-disasters.
The idea that this series is already over? It’s not.
At least, not yet.
If anything, these first four games have been far closer than the Knicks’ 3-1 series lead suggests.
Through four games, New York is only beating Detroit by an average margin of two points per game. They blew out the Pistons in Game 1 (123-112), lost Game 2 by six, and have won Games 3 and 4 by a combined three points. Had one or two possessions swung differently, it’s not hard to imagine this series sitting at 2-2 — or worse for the Knicks.
Even with the series shifting back to The Garden for a decisive closeout Game 5, the Pistons have shown enough fight to keep things dangerous. They were the better team for long stretches of Games 1 and 2 — and if not for their fourth-quarter meltdown in the series opener, it’s possible Detroit could have taken both games in New York.
The Knicks have a saving grace — and it’s one that will be critical for their looming second-round matchup against the reigning champion Boston Celtics, provided they handle business on Tuesday: Their early investment in OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges has paid real dividends.
New York’s “Wing Stop” defensive tandem has cooled Cade Cunningham, holding the Pistons’ All-Star to 44% shooting from the field and just 25% from three through four games. In Game 4, Anunoby and Bridges combined to force three consecutive stops against Cunningham in crunch time to secure the win.
Still, the bigger picture remains concerning.
Tobias Harris has posted 25, 15, and 18-point games this series while shooting 40% from deep. Tim Hardaway Jr. has knocked down 11 threes across the last two games. And Malik Beasley — who finished second in made threes leaguewide this season — finally found his rhythm after struggling early in the series.
Beasley went 6-of-12 from deep in Game 1, but had gone cold (3-of-18 combined) in Games 2 and 3. On Sunday, he shot 0-for-5 to start Game 4, then came alive to drill three threes in the second half.
Meanwhile, Cunningham’s struggles have been a mix of New York’s defensive pressure, first-time playoff jitters, and flat-out sloppiness. He’s averaging six turnovers per game this series, including seven giveaways in Game 4 — many of them self-inflicted, fumbling the ball without much resistance.
Yes, the Knicks’ defensive pressure has clearly bothered him. But Cunningham has always been turnover-prone — he averaged 3.8 giveaways per game in the regular season — and Detroit’s ball security remains an unpredictable weakness. Even with Anunoby draped all over him late in Game 4, Cunningham still created the looks he wanted at the foul line. He just missed them — twice — with the game hanging in the balance.
The bottom line: this series is closer than it looks, and the Knicks have to treat Game 5 that way.
Because as Tom Thibodeau never stops reminding his team: the moment you start feeling good about yourself is the moment you get knocked down.
And if the Knicks want any shot at even sniffing Boston in the second round — against a Celtics team that swept them 4-0 in the regular season, including three blowouts — they have no choice but to finish this series in five. No dragging it out. No letting Detroit hang around. They need every ounce of strength, health, and focus they can muster before stepping into the ring with the reigning champs.
TOWN PAYMENT
When the Knicks traded Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota for Karl-Anthony Towns last summer, it wasn’t just about star power — it was about alleviating Jalen Brunson’s burden in the playoffs.
Towns answered every question in Game 4.
Down the stretch, Towns put the Knicks on his back, scoring eight of their final 10 points in the last three minutes of regulation. He hit a contested running mid-range shot while fading out of bounds, a step-back three from 27 feet, and another dagger three with 2:43 left in the fourth quarter.
“He has tremendous confidence. He has an amazing touch. He shoots the ball like a guard. He has unlimited range and he can score off the dribble,” Thibodeau said after the win. “He can score back to the basket. He can score a lot of different ways. When he’s moving around, that’s when he’s the hardest to guard. We have to continue to search him out and he has to continue to move.”
Towns finished with 27 points on 10-of-23 shooting (5-of-7 from three) and is now averaging 22.8 points while shooting 53% from the field and 50% from deep through four playoff games as a Knick.
For all the chaos in this series, one thing has become clear:
Should they advance, the Knicks are going to need this version of Towns to have a real shot against the Celtics next round.
