Knicks and Pistons Set for Clash on April 19

The schedule for the New York Knicks ' round playoff series against the Detroit Pistons is now officially out.

The series begins Saturday night, April 19, at 6 p.m. from the Garden, and will continue in Game 2 on Monday night, April 21, at 7:30 from MSG.

Game 3 is scheduled for Thursday, April 24, with a time TBA. Of course, Thursday night is also the first night of the NFL Draft, so this figures to be a wild evening of sports action.

Game 4 will take place Sunday, April 27, at 1 p.m. in the Motor City.

Game 5 will be back at MSG on Tuesday, April 29, with Game 6 (Thursday, May 1) and Game 7 (Saturday, May 3) bleeding into the month of May.

All games will be broadcast on Fox Sports Radio New Jersey 93.5 FM, 1450 AM, and Fox Sports Jersey Shore 100.5 FM.

INSIDE THE SERIES

While the Knicks won 51 games this season and were consistently the third-best team in the East all year long, this is not the series to be caught looking ahead to Boston in Round 2. No sir, the Detroit Pistons present plenty of problems for the Knicks; in fact, Detroit won three of four meetings between the two franchises during the regular season.

CUNNING CUNNINGHAM

The last time the Knicks and Pistons squared off on April 10, Detroit stunned the Knicks 115-106 with Cade Cunningham leading the way with 36 points for Detroit. The former first overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft continues to live up to the billing, perhaps putting together the best year of his four-year career. Cunningham averaged 26 points per game and played in a career-best 70 games this season for the Pistons.

In fact Cunningham has really been a thorn in the Knicks' side. Not only did he post 36 points on the Knicks last week, but he posted that same number against them on January 13 in a 124-119 Pistons win at the Garden.

Cunningham also scored a triple-double on New York in Detroit's 120-111 victory at the Garden on December 7.

So, obviously, everything the Knicks do defensively in their scheme and execution will be to try to limit Cunningham's touches and force the Pistons to rely on the likes of Tobias Harris and Malik Beasley.

KNICKS HEALTH

The Knicks come into the postseason with health clearly on their minds. When they faced Detroit last week, the Knicks were missing OG Anunoby (thumb) and Josh Hart (knee). It appears that Hart is going to play on Saturday when the series starts. Anunoby is listed as day-to-day.

It's an improvement, but the Knicks desperately need both men on the floor. When healthy, Anunoby gives the Knicks not only a solid shooter, but his presence inside is a must. Anunoby averaged 4.8 rebounds per game and 1.5 steals per game this year.

Hart gives the Knicks excellent perimeter shooting; he was a 55-percent shooter during the regular season.

Of course, almost everything the Knicks do revolves around Jalen Brunson. Brunson has been beaten up this year. He missed about a month this year due to an ankle injury, and even left the Detroit game on April 10 because he rolled it. While Brunson gutted out 29 minutes in the Pistons game, and played 36 minutes against Cleveland the following night on April 11, he did not play in the season finale at Brooklyn.

The Knicks hope that with added rest, Brunson is ready to go. When healthy, Jalen Brunson can be one of the most dominant players on the floor. He's a nearly 40-percent shooter from downtown and has averaged about 27 points per game in each of his two years in New York.

PREDICTION:

The Knicks will face an uphill battle against Detroit, but throughout a long series, expect the Knicks' physical play inside with Anunoby and Karl Anthony Towns to wear down the Pistons. Plus, Jalen Brunson is always good for a little magic. PICK: KNICKS in 6.