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Feb 19, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) is guarded by New York Knicks guard Mikal Bridges (25) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Knicks Can Steal Playoffs Despite Pistons Dominance

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Jayesh Pagar | Last updated Feb 20, 2026 6:00 PM ET

The Detroit Pistons ran the regular-season series 3-1 over the New York Knicks last year and looked like the tougher team heading into the playoffs. Then Jalen Brunson scored 40 in Game 6 and the Knicks moved on. The same script is playing out again, except this time, the Pistons haven't dropped a single game.

Detroit swept the season series 3-0: a 121-90 win on January 6, a 118-80 beatdown on February 7, and a 126-111 win at Madison Square Garden last night.

What makes that last one sting is the context. Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart were both suspended after a brawl involving the Hornets on February 9, meaning Detroit came to MSG shorthanded up front.

The Knicks had a golden chance to make a statement, but instead shot 23% from three and handed the Pistons the win. New York played its same offensive routine and paid for it, just like they did all regular season last year before flipping things entirely in the playoffs.

In 2024-25, the Knicks turned it around when it mattered. Brunson got his opportunities at the right moments, Cunningham couldn't carry the load alone, and New York closed it out 4-2.

Brunson's series-winner in Game 6, a cold crossover pull-up three with 4.3 seconds left, is still the defining image of that series. The Knicks found a way when it mattered most.

How the Knicks Can Flip the Script Again in the Playoffs

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Cade Cunningham is averaging 25.3 points and 9.6 assists this season, and Detroit's supporting cast has only grown around him. This is not the same Pistons team that stumbled into the playoffs last year. They are built to compete deep into May, which raises the stakes for what the Knicks bring if these two meet in the playoffs.

The Pistons are comfortably on track to make the postseason, and a matchup with New York at some point is very much on the table. How the Knicks show up for that will matter a lot more than what happened in February.

The biggest thing New York needs is adaptability. Against the Pistons last night, they kept forcing threes that simply were not going in, finishing at a miserable 23% from deep. Karl-Anthony Towns was right there, with a clear size advantage in the post, and the Knicks barely used it. When the shots are not falling, you read the floor and change the plan.

We know they can do it. During their recent eight-game winning streak, they took down the Denver Nuggets, one of the most complete teams in the league. That same toughness and coordination, knowing when to shift and how to attack, is exactly what beats a team like Detroit in a seven-game series.

Losing at home to a shorthanded Pistons team, after scoring the first five points, is not the standard this roster sets for itself. The talent is real and the potential is there. If the Knicks bring that effort and adaptability from the winning streak into the postseason, a rematch with Detroit becomes a very different conversation.

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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