The New York Knicks just couldn't figure out the Detroit Pistons in the 2025-26 NBA season.
On Thursday, the Knicks failed anew in their mission to score a win at Detroit's expense, as they suffered a 126-111 loss to the visiting Pistons. It was the third loss for New York against Cade Cunningham and company in this campaign, which also means that they have just gotten swept in this regular-season series.
Each of those losses to Detroit was a double-digit blowout. The first one ended in a 121-90 score in Detroit, where the Pistons also defeated the Knicks, 118-80, in the second meeting.
Considering how the Pistons have absolutely manhandled New York this season, it appears that Detroit will be the Knicks' biggest nightmare in the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
But for Knicks newcomer Jose Alvarado, New York's outlook in the postseason, in case it meets the Pistons there, is not as discouraging as it looks.
“Playoffs is a whole different ballgame,” Alvarado said following the game (h/t Knicks Videos). “We're not going to sit here and say, ‘oh, they beat us in the regular season…' We're not thinking like that.”
Nevertheless, it's clear that the Pistons are a huge thorn in New York's side.
The Knicks eliminated Detroit in the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs, but the Pistons have since become one of the best teams not just in the East but in the entire league. Only the reigning NBA champions Oklahoma City Thunder have more wins at this point of the season than Detroit, which improved to 41-13. The Knicks, on the other hand, dropped to 35-21.
