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Recently, the New York Knicks dropped to 1-1 in their first round playoff series vs the Detroit Pistons with a Game 2 loss at home. Despite the Pistons controlling this game for much of the evening, the Knicks were able to make it a game down the stretch, but ultimately they weren't able to generate enough offense in the final few minutes to win.
One of the major talking points coming out of this game was the major disparity in free throws that the Knicks took compared to the Pistons. Knicks players and coaches could be seen throughout the evening complaining to the officials during Game 2.
Recently, star point guard Jalen Brunson got 100% real on why this can't be the case moving forward.
“We've had a lack of focus when it comes to that,” said Brunson, per Knicks Videos on X, formerly Twitter. “We've got to let them do their job and we've got to do ours.”
Brunson was a target of social media ridicule in the aftermath of Game 2 for his perceived tendency to embellish contact in hopes of drawing a foul call. However, the Knicks didn't get a whole lot of love from the officials during that contest, and the Pistons were able to take advantage despite nearly collapsing down the stretch like they did in Game 1.
An intriguing series so far
On paper, the Knicks would figure to have the talent advantage for every position on the floor in their series vs the Pistons. However, the majority of the first 96 minutes of play have been controlled by Detroit, with Cade Cunningham shaking off the rust and looking like a superstar during the Pistons' Game 2 win.
The Knicks now hit the road for the Motor City, which will be hosting its first playoff game since LeBron James swept them out of the first round all the way back in 2016.
The Pistons' crowd will certainly be amped up for Game 3, and it's unlikely that the Knicks will have quite as many road fans as they did during last year's series vs the Philadelphia 76ers.
Game 3 is set for 7:00 PM ET from Detroit.
