With a Game 5 loss to the Detroit Pistons, the New York Knicks have now lost five straight series-clinching games at Madison Square Garden.
Cade Cunningham and Ausar Thompson were terrific for the Pistons, and their defense really told a story in limiting all five Knicks starters to under 20 points. They now trail the series 3-2.
Jalen Brunson had his worst game of the series, finishing with 16 points on 4-of-16 shooting. He missed a key stretch in the fourth quarter because he hurt his right ankle. Then, when he was ready to re-enter, there wasn’t a stoppage in play until 27 seconds remaining.
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau explained being over the foul limit and having only one timeout remaining left him no choice.
In what has been a fascinating series, it’s incredible to think the Pistons could even be up 3-2 if not for a missed foul call. After Game 4, the referees admitted they should have called a foul on Josh Hart for his contest on a Tim Hardaway Jr. 3-point attempt at the buzzer. Detroit lost by one.
Now, Game 6 at Little Caesars Arena awaits on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. EST.
Knicks Can’t Shut The Door At Home
It is a bit stunning to see New York just hasn’t been able to get the job done at home in 26 years.
The last time the Knicks won a series-clinching game at Madison Square Garden was the 1999 Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers.
This is what the drought has looked like since:
- 2025: Lost 106-103 to Detroit Pistons. First round, Game 5.
- 2024: Lost 130-109 to Indiana Pacers. Second round, Game 7.
- 2024: Lost 112-106 to Philadelphia 76ers. First round, Game 5.
- 2013: Lost 92-86 to Boston Celtics. First round, Game 5.
- 2001: Lost 93-89 to Toronto Raptors. First round, Game 5.
Perhaps, they’ll breathe a sigh of relief the next game is in Detroit.
The biggest thing for the Knicks now is hoping Brunson will be a healthier version of himself than what we saw in Game 5. His usual fourth quarter heroics were not to be found and that was a huge factor in the Pistons pulling out the win.
If Detroit can force a Game 7, it could make for an extremely tense atmosphere in New York. A potential first-round exit after entering the season with championship aspirations would be the stuff of nightmares.