As the calendar flips to a new year, the Knicks continue to struggle against the Detroit Pistons.
In their most recent matchup, the Knicks succumbed to a 15-point defeat against a Pistons squad missing their center, marking New York’s third consecutive loss to Detroit this season and extending their record to 1-6 against them over the past two years. The Pistons are now solidifying their position as the Eastern Conference’s top seed.
While the Knicks managed to oust the Pistons in a six-game playoff series last spring, replicating that success appears increasingly uncertain.
Thursday’s performance suggests they might not be up to the task.
“It’s a new year,” calmly remarked team captain Jalen Brunson.
“It’s a new year,” team captain Jalen Brunson said plainly.
It is — a new coach, new philosophies and heightened expectations. New stakes, too. In an Eastern Conference suddenly wide open after major injuries to Tyrese Haliburton and Jayson Tatum, opportunity has never looked clearer. If the Knicks can’t capitalize now, it’s fair to wonder when they will.
At least as currently constructed.
Which brings us back to Detroit — and a loss that cut deeper than the standings. The Knicks fell to 15 losses in 27 games against teams with winning records, but this one stood apart. Forget the earlier 38- and 31-point blowouts. The Pistons were without All-Star center Jalen Duren and reserve enforcer Isaiah Stewart — and still beat a mostly healthy Knicks squad by 15.
“Nobody wants to lose. And everybody is disappointed. And I’m sure everybody is trying to figure out how they could’ve played better to help the team win. So it’s not a fun feeling,” head coach Mike Brown said after the loss. “It shouldn’t be a fun feeling for me or anybody else in that locker room.
“But for sure it’s not the end of the world. We’ve got to regroup, watch the film to see how to get better and get the next one.”
Maybe the Knicks believe they can flip a switch when the games matter most. Contenders across eras warn against that approach, yet New York has leaned on it before — beating the Spurs to win the NBA Cup and last season surviving Detroit before stunning Boston in Round 2.
But playoff faith becomes harder to sell when the same opponent has your number. And right now, the Pistons have the Knicks on speed dial.
“[The regular season] means a lot. It builds the confidence going into that playoff series, and also you have great film to see what did work against our team and against their team,” Karl-Anthony Towns said. “I know you’re talking about seeing them in the playoffs, but we’ve got to get there first. For standings, you always want to win. You want to make sure you give yourself the best chance to control your destiny.”
One of the Knicks’ newest additions dismissed the long view — understandable for someone not here for last year’s warning signs or this season’s blowouts.
“Yeah playoffs is a whole different ballgame. We’re not gonna sit here and say, ‘Oh just because they beat us in the regular season…’ We’re not thinking like that,” Jose Alvarado said. “I don’t think like that. When it counts, that’s when it matters. So we’re going to play like that.”
The Knicks are betting the playoffs will tell a different story. Detroit keeps writing the same one.
