Knicks Recap: Knicks Fall Short in Heartbreaking Finish as Pistons Steal Game 2 at MSG

Despite Brunson’s 37-point outburst and an outrageous fourth-quarter comeback, the Knicks fall short as Cade Cunningham and the Pistons rally late to steal Game 2 and even the series at 1-1.

Jalen Brunson senses defeat late in Knicks-Pistons

Game 2 opened with high stakes and even higher intensity, as both teams fought hard to seize momentum and swing the series in their favour. Jalen Duren opened the scoring with a thunderous dunk that put things into motion for Detroit’s relentless paint presence early. The Knicks, while moving the ball fluidly, struggled to convert wide-open looks. They had missed their first eight three-point attempts and failed to draw a single free throw in the opening quarter.

Still, the ball movement had promise and potential. Josh Hart found OG Anunoby cutting at the baseline for an early bucket, and Karl-Anthony Towns showed why his offensive versatility is in need. Towns was seen spinning past Duren for a slick drive prior to muscling his way under the rim for another finish. Jalen Brunson appeared sharper than he did in Game 1, slicing through mis-guided gaps in Detroit’s defense for mid-range floaters and strong finishes in the lane.

Defensively though, New York faltered in transition. Mikal Bridges was the lone bright spot on that end, conducting smart reads and saving points with his off-ball anticipation. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to stop Cade Cunningham from catching fire. Cunningham was exploiting every fast-break opportunity to rack up early points and eventually finish the quarter with eight.

The final minute of the first quarter was perhaps the worst of all. It was a disaster. Payne, McBride, and Robinson looked completely out of sync, resulting in a sloppy sequence full of miscommunications and turnovers that gave the Pistons the edge going into the second. After 12 minutes, the Knicks trailed 25-18, with only one triple made in the game, which was made by, well, you guessed it: Detroit.

The second quarter began with Miles McBride driving in confidently for a crafty finish, but New York’s offensive rhythm continued to deplete. A goaltending call on KAT and a defensive breakdown that let Malik Beasley score emphasized just how much the Knicks were still scrambling to find control. But to Towns' credit, the big man answered back by bullying Tobias Harris on the floor to stop the blue and orange from bleeding.

Then came the spark: Jalen Brunson finally nailed the Knicks’ first trey of the night with nine minutes remaining in the half, and he followed it up with another just 30 seconds later. Dennis Schröder answered with one of his own though, but the Garden had already erupted.

Defensively, the Knicks still weren’t looking sharp. Harris kept attacking on the inside, even with Robinson lurking. And while Bridges and KAT each hit tough mid-range jumpers to keep New York afloat, Detroit's physical defense, energy, and aggressive rebounding put them at an advantage. Oh, and let's not forget their 14-2 edge in bench points, which the Knicks kept chasing all night-long.

At last, Brunson drew contact and won the Knicks’ first trip to the free-throw line with just over a minute remaining in the half. He rained down both shots, bringing the deficit down to just four now. JB had led his team at the half with 17. On the other hand, Cade Cunningham continued putting on his earth-shattering, lights-out show. He sunk a tough, contested jumper through a double team to finish the half with 20 points and keep Detroit up heading into the break. By halftime, the Knicks trailed the Pistons 55-49.

The third quarter opened with the Knicks still struggling to take care of the ball; a theme that haunted them throughout the entire game. Cade Cunningham continued torching the defense, cracking a silky step-back mid-range and punishing New York in transition. Meanwhile, Mikal Bridges responded with a confident pull-up jumper and relentless hustle on both ends of the court, attempting to keep the Knicks within striking distance.

Cade Cunningham after Knicks-Pistons Game 2

Despite Josh Hart’s efforts on the glass and a brief boost from OG Anunoby, New York went ice-cold offensively. At one point, they missed 10 of 11 shots and endured an 11-0 Pistons run, going past four minutes without a single field goal. Sloppy passing and second-chance opportunities for Detroit piled on the frustration, with fans at the Garden loudly voicing their frustrations, especially after a controversial clear-path foul call.

Still, a late mini-surge saved the quarter from being a total disaster. Bridges connected on a much-needed three, Deuce drilled a tough jumper, and Brunson capped it off with a turnaround shot to trim the hedges off Detroit's lead. Though the Knicks were out-rebounded and out-paced for most of the quarter, they somehow ended it with just a eight-point deficit. Detroit led 75-67 heading into the final frame.

It was a nail-biting fourth quarter in New York, with the Knicks trying to claw their way back after trailing by double digits for the majority of the game. Despite all their efforts, their late push wasn’t enough to avoid a gut-wrenching 100-94 loss to the Pistons.

Jalen Brunson opened the quarter with free throws and displayed his beautiful footwork in the paint, attempting to do everything to keep New York in it. Deuce McBride chipped in with a confident pull-up, and OG Anunoby started to show signs of life. But for every Knicks bucket, Dennis Schroder or Cade Cunningham had an answer. And in that moment, nothing was more hurtful than Schroder’s buzzer-beating shot that hushed the Garden mid-quarter.

With the Knicks charging through a fired-up 12-2 run, Brunson was at the center of it all. He capped the surge with a clutch pass to Josh Hart for the game-tying bucket at 94, leaving MSG in an absolute uproar. Unfortunately after that, the Knicks' offense collapsed. Brunson missed a three, Mikal Bridges missed two open looks, zero field-goal shots made by KAT, and just like that: Detroit capitalized like any opposing team should have. A dagger three from Schroder and late free throws by Duren sealed the game for Detroit. Detroit accomplished precisely what they came to do in New York: steal a win on the road and tie the series at 1-1.

Overall, the Knicks who were unfortunately hanging by a thread and ultimately lost had Brunson paving the way with 37 points and seven assists, Mikal trying to carve his way out with the team with 19 points, and Towns and OG Anunoby and Josh Hart all sharing 10 points each.

On the flip side, the towering Detroit Pistons had the overarching Cade Cunningham with a 30 piece (33 points and 12 rebounds), the sneaky Dennis Schroder pacing with 20 points of his own, Tobias Harris piling on 15 points and 13 rebounds, and their big man Jalen Duren stepping up with 12 points and 13 boards.

Next up, the New York Knicks will be facing the Detroit Pistons on the road for Game 3 at Little Caesars Arena (1-1) on Thursday April 24, at 7:00 p.m. E.T.

Knicks Recap, Game 2, Series Tied 1-1