Pistons Veteran Praises Ausar Thompson After Game 5 Win vs Knicks

Heading into the postseason, one of the biggest questions for the Detroit Pistons was how they'd handle their first taste of playoff action. Despite having no prior experience, the young squad has more than held their own against the New York Knicks.

Though trailing in the series, the Pistons have proven they can rise to any occasion. Every matchup has been competitive, and if the refs don't miss a foul in Game 4, Detroit could be up in this series. Nonetheless, the scrappy bunch showed yet again on Tuesday that they don't crumble under pressure easily.

Following the controversial finish in Game 4, the Pistons had to go back to New York to keep their season alive. They'd managed to narrowly escape with a victory, in large part due to the play of their young core. Cade Cunningham put together another strong outing, and Ausar Thompson stepped up in this must-win scenario. The young forward notched 22 points and seven rebounds while also providing quality defense on Jalen Brunson.

After the game, numerous members of the Pistons spoke up about Thompson's play. Among those to give him his flowers was veteran forward Tobias Harris. He cited all the work Thompson puts in behind the scenes to be ready for a moment like this.

"Such a humble guy," Harris told reporters. "He’s always the first one in the locker room after a game to pull up film on his phone to find ways to get better … for him to have that game tonight, I’m extremely excited and happy for him."