The Knicks still have a problem with the Pistons despite their success against other top teams

The New York Knicks finished strong come from behind win against the Houston Rockets. They showed serious courage, which was in question in previous defeats. In addition, Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson both played incredibly well – something that would be expected on a regular basis heading into the season, yet something not seen nearly enough. But while the victory should inspire optimism, there is reason to pause, Detroit Pistons.

New York had a great fourth quarter in a recent win against Houston. They closed the game with a 33-13 run, which included 18 points from Brunson. The Knicks also held the Rockets to 28% shooting over the final 10 minutes or so of the game. And their defense, led by new signing Jose Alvarado, forced numerous turnovers down the stretch.

The Knicks have played well against more top teams than just the Rockets. The Knicks have done incredibly well against most of the league’s best competition this season. They are now 1-0 against Houston, 2-1 against the Boston Celtics, 2-0 against the Cleveland Cavaliers, 1-0 against the Denver Nuggets, 1-0 against the Los Angeles Lakers and 1-1 against the San Antonio Spurs.

However, they struggled mightily against the Pistons, a team they will likely see in the playoffs in 2026. In fact, New York is 0-3 on the season against Detroit, and their next matchup is (very) loosely slated for the postseason.

Are the Pistons too tough for the Knicks?

The Pistons present completely different problems for the Knicks than the other elite teams. First, their physicality is a lot to fight with. Detroit boasts the second-best defensive rating in the NBA (108.3). Their small size is intimidating. Jaylen Duren is eighth in the league in rebounding (10.5 per game) and Isaiah Stewart is sixth in blocks (1.2 per game). Ironically, neither Duren nor Stewart were available for the Pistons’ last win over the Knicks on Feb. 19.

The Pistons are also pushing the boundaries of physicality and officiating. They leads the league in fouls per game (22.3), according to StatMuse. And why not? When your team is built like Detroit, the only damage from a foul is landing in the penalty box. Of course, that’s not ideal. But the cumulative effect of fouling results in a reputational drain that makes teams think twice about how they attack open lanes.

The Pistons’ perimeter defenders are also extremely strong. Cade Cunningham and Ausar Thomson are two of the best at locking down opposing players on the perimeter. And both are physical enough to battle bigger wings in the post and around the basket.

It became clear that New York can’t match Detroit while staying focused and locked.

Can the Knicks offense be consistent enough to take down the Detroit Pistons?

If the Pistons are more of a physical team, which they are, the Knicks need to emphasize their own strength, finesse. That’s exactly how New York beat Detroit in the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. Brunson led the way. And for all the Pistons’ defensive prowess, they simply didn’t have an answer for Brunson when he’s in his own zone and protecting the basketball.

In the 2025 playoffs, Brunson averaged 31.5 points and 8.2 assists per game. His footwork and guile were on full display, which included a game-tying hit. If the Knicks are going to succeed against the Pistons, Brunson needs to get back to playing like that.

In the 2025-26 regular season, Brunson scored quite well, averaging 29.7 points per game. But he also turned the ball over. A lot. Brunson averaged five turnovers per game against the Pistons in their regular season, compared to just 2.6 turnovers per game in the first round last season—and 2.3 turnovers per game this season for the entire season (so far).

The Knicks’ supporting players also need to do more. Towns and OG Anunoby missed the second of three games this season with the Pistons. But when they did play, they didn’t do nearly enough. Towns averaged 13.5 points in two games, and Anunoby averaged 6.5 points per game.

Granted, there are more misses to point out – like how the Knicks were crushed to the glass – but the simple fact is that the Knicks probably won’t do well when their second and third leading scorers combine for an average of 20 points per game.

Fortunately, The Knicks have time to digest their recent losses against the Pistons and lick their wounds. New York has 25 games left in the playoffs and is unlikely to have a first-round rematch with Detroit. That matchup will likely come later in the playoffs. So the Knicks have time to figure out exactly how to approach the Pistons. But one thing is for sure, they have their work cut out for them.