The New York Knicks’ first-round playoff matchup is set, with them taking on the No. 6-seeded Detroit Pistons to open the NBA playoffs. The Pistons took three out of the four games against each other in the regular season, and Detroit’s remarkable turnaround does not make them a pushover of any sort.
Knicks are preparing for a tough series with Pistons
Josh Hart knows what that series will entail and gave Detroit their flowers for being the gritty, physical squad that they have been this season.
“It’s a good, young team,” Hart said, via MSG Networks. “We know the type of brand of basketball that they play, so we’ve got to go out there and not just match their physicality, but we’ve got to exceed it. We’ve got one more game, Brooklyn, obviously Sunday. So, we’ve got to focus on that, but we’ve got a week to prepare for them.”
The Knicks saw what a playoff series between the two would look like on Thursday in their final regular season matchup. The Pistons would overcome a double-digit deficit on the road with their physicality and energetic play on both ends.
The Knicks need to have better energy in the postseason
Of course, the Knicks were resting Hart, Mitchell Robinson, and OG Anunoby, and one has to wonder if that game would play out differently if those guys were available. However, the Knicks must match their physical energy if they want to win that series.
The Knicks are entering the playoffs on a sour note, losing games to the Celtics, Pistons, and Cavaliers while blowing double-digit leads in each of those losses. They will need to turn things around fast and come into Game 1 of the first round with a different type of energy.
The team closes out the regular season on Sunday against the Brooklyn Nets on the road.