The Detroit Pistons entered the playoff atmosphere with a young roster full of rowdy newcomers. However, as they soon found out, experience and savvy can be just as effective as ignorance. The New York Knicks used their defense to shut down Cade Cunningham, making life difficult for him and forcing his teammates to adjust.
Cunningham’s reliance on passing the ball when under pressure was exposed as his teammates struggled in the fourth quarter. In contrast, veteran players like Tobias Harris, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Malik Beasley stepped up, hitting 20 of their 33 shots from the field and more than half of their three-point attempts after three quarters.
The Pistons’ youth led to a stunning collapse, as they trailed by 21 points in just over two quarters. The Knicks’ defense proved that postseason basketball is unpredictable, and not all 48 minutes are created equal. In the end, it was the Knicks’ defensive strategy that made all the difference, leading to a 123-112 victory.
Source: https://defector.com/the-knicks-gave-the-pistons-a-lesson-in-playoff-entropy