Knicks Recap: Knicks Rally Late to Take Game 1 Against the Pistons

Despite a shaky start, OG Anunoby’s dominance, Brunson’s gritty return, and Cameron Payne’s clutch heroics fuelled a furious 21-0 run as the Knicks stormed back to take Game 1 over Detroit.

Karl-Anthony Towns after the Final Buzzer

The lights were bright and the Garden was buzzing, but the New York Knicks came out of the MSG tunnel with some Game 1 jitters. Despite a nervous, shaky start for both teams, New York showed flashes of the defensive identity that brought them here. And one thing’s for certain: OG Anunoby came to play.

Since the tip-off, you could tell both teams were feeling out the game. The Knicks hammered down defensively, but lacked ball movement on the offensive end. Most of the passes stayed within the Brunson-Hart-OG triangle, while bigs like Karl-Anthony Towns and wings like Mikal Bridges were focused more on the defensive end instead of offensively. Jalen Brunson couldn't gather an early layup and Tim Hardaway Jr. came up short on an out-of-bounds opportunity. However, OG quickly set the tone with elite on-ball defense on Cade Cunningham and a cold-blooded 15-footer followed by a step-back mid-range jumpshot. Momentum buildup? Check.

An early spark came from Mikal Bridges, who turned solid defense into a fast-break bucket threaded by the ever-reliable Josh Hart. Even with Hart picking up two early fouls, he kept his head high and remained in the game. The Knicks' defense stayed on track and continued to swarm. Towns had a phenomenal block and Mitchell Robinson checked into the game, immediately filling the floor with his physical presence. On the other hand, Detroit was breaking down with key defenders like Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren piling up two fouls apiece early.

Still, the Knicks couldn't fully take advantage. A sloppy sequence that included back-to-back turnovers (OG and Shamet both losing the ball) gifted Detroit a Hardaway Jr. slam-dunk. Tobias Harris started heating up against OG, and even though Anunoby came right back with a buzzer-beating bucket to tie it up at 27, the Knicks missed the opportunity to build a bigger lead.

Cameron Payne staring at Malik Beasley

In the second quarter, the Knicks’ second unit stepped up in a huge way; especially Cameron Payne, who sunk a three shortly after checking in, creating impact instantly. Towns finally found his rhythm, scoring off a defensive three-second violation and following it up with back-to-back shots. Throw in a Mitchell Robinson put-back slam and suddenly the double-big lineup of KAT and Mitch with OG, Payne, and Deuce was clicking. Everything was coming together now for the Knicks, who were still trying to search for their groove.

But the Pistons wouldn’t go away. Tobias Harris was red-hot with 22 first-half points and couldn't stop torturing the Knicks’ defense. However, it was safe to say that both guards from both teams were struggling. Brunson was just two of 11 from the field, forcing too many shots when he needed to pass the rock more. And while Cade Cunningham wasn’t exactly scoring, his six assists let Detroit hang around. Payne did a decent job defensively, but repeated the same mistakes over and over again, leaving Malik Beasley wide open on the perimeter. Ouch.

Still, OG helped keep the Knicks afloat, firing a clutch three in transition to help guide the Knicks back on top. He wrapped up the half with 19 points, carrying the offensive load on his back while also planting his feet firmly with exceptional defense. As the buzzer went off in the second quarter, the Knicks held a thin 57-55 lead against the Pistons.

The second half opened with what Knicks fans were praying for: a Jalen Brunson three-pointer to ignite some life. After suffering during the first half, it looked like JB was ready to turn around the corner. Unfortunately, Tim Hardaway Jr. had other plans, responding back with consecutive buckets to keep the Pistons rolling.

OG Anunoby refused to cool down though, adding a slick spin move and a step-back jumper to his highlight reel. KAT followed suit with a smooth spin of his own in the paint, tallying 12 points. But the Knicks’ in-transition defense was yet to be found, resulting in a large Detroit lead (72-66).

Jalen Brunson Final Score Line

As for Brunson, he was slowly finding his rhythm, displaying some dazzling footwork and clutch shot-making to land the quarter with 22 points and five assists. Still, poor defensive rotations and a number of mental lapses were showing, such as a costly turnover by Brunson that led to a Malik Beasley bucket. This swung the momentum hard in Detroit’s favour.

But, Hart’s stunning, hard-to-ignore assist to Towns tied the game at 72. In the meantime, Cade Cunningham started exploiting OG’s physical defense to carve out some scoring opportunities for Detroit. And to make matters worse, Brunson was seen grabbing his ankle after stepping on Schroder’s foot. Even though he stayed in the game, he was visibly limping, and the Knicks’ confidence was on the edge.

By the end of the third, Detroit drove a massive 91-83 lead, fuelled by Hardaway Jr.’s 19 points and relentless pressure from no. 28, Isaiah Stewart. On the bright side, the Knicks were perfect from behind the line (12-for-12), but they needed more than free throws to grab their first win of the series.

With their backs against the wall, New York came out strong and out of the storm in the final quarter by playing like a team possessed. Detroit looked exhausted, and New York fought back hard. Cameron Payne did a lot of damage here, burying clutch shots and bringing the crowd on their feet, the same crowd that had been holding its breath in. Not to mention, Karl-Anthony Towns was everywhere: scoring, stealing, rebounding, and straight-up harassing Detroit’s offense. Even while being pushed out of bounds, he knocked down a tough go-ahead shot that sent the bench into a frenzy.

For a minute, New York fans were concerned since JB's presence was nowhere to be found: not on the floor and not on the bench. But at last, the captain made his return despite his ankle scare. He wasted no time as he drained a mid-range shot and later tied it up with a dazzling crossover and an and-one (even if he missed the freebie). Then came the one and only, Cameron Payne. New York retained their momentum fully when Payne hit a massive trey to tie it at 98.

The Knicks had suddenly flipped a switch in the final minutes of regulation. An enormous 21-0 run capped off by a KAT steal leading to a JB lay-in put the Knicks up 111-98. The Pistons tried to claw back, cutting the lead to six with under 90 seconds left, but Brunson silenced the rally with a fearless drive and two final free-throw shots. The final score? 123-112, with the Knicks winning their first game of the series.

Final stats? Brunson led the Knicks victorious with 34 points, OG Anunoby added 23 points and seven boards, Towns dominated with 23 points of his own and 11 rebounds, Josh Hart filled the box with 13-6-7, and Cam Payne, the unsung hero, dropped 14 with that much-needed three in the fourth quarter.

Although they lost, Detroit's squad finished with the following: Tobias led the way with 25 points and six rebounds, Cade inefficient but towering with 21-12-6, Malik Beasley writing his name with 20 points (six threes drilled), Tim Hardaway Jr. who tried to help out the team with 19 points, and Thompson wrapping up Game 1 in the double-digits column with 10 points and six rebounds.

Next up, the New York Knicks will be facing the Detroit Pistons for Game 2 back at Madison Square Garden (1-0) on Monday April 21, at 7:30 p.m. E.T.