標籤: stresses

New York – The New York Knicks have a complicated relationship with the Detroit Pistons. The young Pistons group completed their 2026 regular season sweep of the Knicks on Thursday night, bringing both teams back to similar circumstances from last season, which culminated in a first-round playoff win for New York. However, team captain Jalen Brunson no longer wants to rely on last year’s results.

“It’s a new year,” Brunson told reporters at Madison Square Garden after the Knicks’ 126-111 loss.

The young Detroit group, led by a jumbo playmaker and consisting mostly of serious specialists in defined roles, is reminiscent of the New York squad led by Julius Randle. But, to borrow Jay-Z’s paradox in his early 2010 rap masterpiece, Brunson has helped transform these nicks from “underpaid” to “overrated” in recent years.

It is believed that New York is closer than ever to the championship. But Cade Cunningham’s Pistons are lovable underdogs who upset the NBA hierarchy with surprising road wins. And on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks contenders were caught at the beach.

The Pistons were missing Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart, both of whom were suspended after a fight with the Charlotte Hornets. It didn’t make much difference to Cunningham. His 42-point, eight-rebound, 13-assist performance overshadowed Brunson’s 33 points, six rebounds and eight assists on 60% field goal shooting.

Detroit’s regular season success did not help them in last year’s playoffs against the Knicks. But these pistons seem to work with larger cylinders. The proverbial engine of their offense, Cunningham, has leveled off. With this he can take his teammates to even greater heights.

The Knicks have work to do before the end of the season if they want to repeat last year’s playoff results against teams like the Pistons. They have reached the required heights many times, but often step back after reminding themselves that they can do the same.

Bridges ends another close game on the Knicks bench

Thursday’s loss to the Pistons was another close game that Mikal Bridges watched from the bench. The Knicks made only eight of their 35 attempts from behind the 3-point arc, with only four different players getting shots to fall. Brunson and Landry Shamet were the only two Knicks to score more than one, each knocking down three times during the 15-point loss.

Two of the 3-pointers made by Shamet came in the last eight minutes of the fourth quarter, when he was on the court in place of starter Mikal Bridges. It’s important for the versatility of the Knicks’ scheme that starters like Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns don’t mind being benched in favor of red-hot role players. But head coach Mike Brown said Shamet closed out on Bridges because the team needed to score. It wasn’t a strong endorsement of the two-way wing who signed a four-year, $150 million extension with a player option for the 2029-30 season.

“Landry hit some shots. We needed to score. They’re both really good guards. And so I stayed with Landry. But it wasn’t like, ‘Oh, I’ll sit Mikal because he’s not doing that, or he’s not doing that.’ We were looking to score points. And Landry was the only guy to make a shot from behind the arc, the coach said through some nervous laughter.

A key part of the Knicks’ journey this upcoming postseason will be striking a balance with respect to the participation of their star players — and what they bring to the table in games where shots aren’t being funneled their way. While the Browns made it clear that the late-game benching was not Bridges’ fault but a situational adjustment, it is on Bridges to give the coaching staff no choice.

Bridges did not ask to be traded for five first-round picks. He didn’t force the Knicks to offer him $150 million and a player option. But the ball is in the 29-year-old’s court as to how he chooses to respond to this adversity. His confession after the game in Toronto was a great start. New York can’t afford to be this outlier.