Steve Popper: Should the Knicks want the Pistons or Cavs in East finals?
Jalen Brunson of the Knicks with the ball during a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden on Christmas Day. Credit: Errol Anderson
If you watched closely as the Pistons and Cavaliers engaged in a rock fight Wednesday night, both sides struggled to appear as if they wanted to advance to the next round, matching missed shots and miscues.
The Knicks are waiting for the conclusion of that series to find out whom they will face in the Eastern Conference finals. The Cavaliers’ overtime victory Wednesday put them in position to close it out Friday night at home and start the next round at the Garden on Sunday. A Pistons win on Friday would force a Game 7 and push the start date of the conference finals to Tuesday, either in Detroit or at MSG against the Cavs.
While the Knicks have been able to rest and rehabilitate after their sweep of the 76ers sent them to the conference finals for the second straight season, whom should they be rooting for to be the next obstacle in their effort to reach the NBA Finals?
If you ask the Knicks, they will tell you that they are prepared for either team.
“I think we have our plan,” Jalen Brunson said. “Obviously, utilize rest, but then when we’re in the gym, we’re doing everything we can to stay in rhythm. Stay having the edge that we need to have. Focus on the things that we’ve been focusing on. Continuing to prepare.
“Obviously, we have to prepare for one of these two teams. We talk about the differences between the two and all that, but focusing on being the best team that we can be as well.”
It’s not so simple to judge which would be the clearer path forward for the Knicks. In the regular season, Detroit dominated them in a way that no other team did, sweeping the three games by margins of 31, 38 and 15 points with a bruising style of play. But the regular season doesn’t really translate to the postseason for a number of reasons — players sitting out, schedule quirks and roster shifts — and there is no better evidence of that than last season, when the Knicks went winless against Boston in the regular season and knocked out the defending champs in the conference semifinals.
It’s probably worth noting that they also were winless against the Cavs last season. Cleveland took the top seed in the Eastern Conference but was knocked out in the second round.
What has been revealed in the playoffs is that with time to prepare for them, the Pistons’ offensive struggles have been accentuated. They’re heavily reliant on Cade Cunningham, with only Tobias Harris contributing any sort of consistency beside him. Jalen Duren, who missed all three games against the Knicks this season, is likely to earn an All-NBA spot this season but has disappeared in the semifinals and has become unplayable at times.
The Cavaliers have more offensive options with Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and James Harden, but they have struggled with sloppy turnovers on offense and spotty efforts on defense. Jarrett Allen has been one of the most steady contributors on both ends for the Cavs.
The Knicks have a much more versatile offense than Detroit and even more weapons than Cleveland with a better defense. The Knicks have had the second-best offensive rating in the postseason, behind only Oklahoma City, and the second-best defensive rating, trailing only San Antonio. That gives them the top net rating in the NBA playoffs.
So which matchup should they want?
I think the better matchup for the Knicks is the Cavaliers. While both teams have struggled in the postseason, Detroit is the sort of squad that has given the Knicks problems by using a bully-ball style, a hard-nosed defense that can take the Knicks’ skill players out of their comfort zone. You may ignore the regular-season numbers, but it’s still hard to push aside the image of how the Pistons were able to dominate two of the meetings.
With Cleveland, the Knicks would get home-court advantage and face a team that is relying on Harden, at nearly 37 years old, to come up big after an arduous journey to get this far in the playoffs. While the Knicks are sitting with their feet up, Harden has played at least 33 minutes in all 12 playoff games, including 43 minutes in Wednesday’s overtime win. While he put up 30 points Wednesday, he also had six turnovers, the fifth time in 12 playoff games in which he’s had at least six.
The Pistons have roughed up the Knicks this season and are still seeking revenge for last year’s opening-round loss. Defensive stopper Ausar Thompson undoubtedly would like another shot at Brunson after last season ended with Brunson sending him skidding away with a crossover dribble before delivered the series-winning shot.
The Cavaliers have had to live with the tag of postseason underachievers that started when the Knicks eliminated them in the first round in the 2023 playoffs.
The Knicks will tell you it’s all about them. But for them to get to the Finals, the easier path is through Cleveland.
Knicks vs. Cleveland
2-1
Oct. 22 - W 119-111
Dec. 25 - W 126-124
Feb. 24 - L 109-94
Key fact: Knicks avenged last season’s no-win campaign against Cavs, but lost only contest after James Harden joined Cavs.
Highlight: In final meeting Mitchell Robinson had 16 rebounds — 8 offensive — in just 19 minutes.
Lowlight: Jalen Brunson averaged 25.7 points per game, but shot just 33.9% in three games.
Knicks vs. Detroit
0-3
Jan. 5 - L 121-90
Feb. 6 - L 118-80
Feb. 19 - L 126-111
Key fact: Pistons beat Knicks by an average of 28 points — and did it without Jalen Duren playing in any of the three games.
Highlight: No one got hurt.
Lowlight: The Knicks shot just 41.6% in three games — their worst against any team.
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
