Apr 10, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (2) defends against Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) during the second half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images David Reginek-Imagn Images

Detroit Pistons Set for NBA Playoff Matchup vs New York Knicks

Originally posted on Detroit Pistons on SI
By Justin Grasso | Last updated Apr 11, 2025 9:51 PM ET

With two games left on the schedule, the Detroit Pistons had a chance to move up to the Eastern Conference’s fifth seed.

First, the Pistons would have to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks at home on Friday night. Then, they would have to travel to Milwaukee to take down the Bucks for the season finale.

With a loss against the Bucks on Friday night, the Pistons keep themselves in the sixth seed. Since the Indiana Pacers came up short against the Orlando Magic, the New York Knicks locked up the third seed. With that, the Pistons and the Knicks are set for a series in the first round.

The New York Knicks will officially play the Detroit Pistons in Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs. pic.twitter.com/j3PivlRoCL
— KnicksMuse (@KnicksMuse) April 12, 2025

During Friday’s game, the Pistons were closing out a back-to-back set. After taking down the Knicks on Thursday night, Detroit engaged in a battle that went down to the wire at home against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks.

Cade Cunningham had a 36-point effort, securing the double-double with 12 assists.

Jalen Duren had himself a double-double outing as he accounted for 11 points and 16 rebounds. Off the bench, Malik Beasley had a stellar showing as he produced 21 points. The veteran sharpshooter knocked down seven of his 14 shots from beyond the arc.

Fought hard... pic.twitter.com/YxboVvlTmw
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) April 12, 2025

Considering the Pistons’ lack of playoff experience with a young roster, any first-round series was going to be viewed as a tough challenge. However, the Knicks might be the best draw for them, considering they’ve won all but one of their four matchups against the Knicks this year.

Back on November 1, the Knicks went into Detroit and took down the Pistons 128-98. Over the next two games, the Pistons won at Madison Square Garden. On Thursday, the Pistons defeated the Knicks 115-106 to win the regular-season series for the first time since the 2018-2019 season.