The New York Knicks could not unseat the Detroit Pistons in the 2025-26 NBA season.
On Thursday, the Knicks again failed in their mission to pick up a win at the expense of Detroit, as they lost 126–111 to the visiting Pistons. This was New York's third loss against Cade Cunningham and Co. this campaign, which also means they have lost this regular season series.
Each of Detroit's losses was a double-digit blowout. The first meeting in Detroit ended with a score of 121–90, with the Pistons defeating the Knicks 118–80 in the second meeting.
Given how the Pistons have misbehaved in New York this season, it appears that the Detroit Knicks will have their biggest nightmare in the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
But for Knicks newcomer Jose Alvarado, New York's outlook in the postseason, if it meets the Pistons there, is not as discouraging as it seems.
“The playoffs are a completely different ballgame,” Alvarado said after the game (h/t Knicks Video). "We're not going to sit here and say, 'Oh, they beat us in the regular season...' We're not thinking like that."
Still, it's clear that the Pistons are a big thorn in the side for New York.
The Knicks eliminated Detroit in the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs, but the Pistons have since become one of the best teams not only in the East but in the entire league. At this point in the season only the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder have more wins than Detroit, improving to 41–13. The Knicks, on the other hand, fell to 35-21.
