Knicks Face Pressure in Deadlocked Series with Pistons

The pressure is now ratcheted up! On Monday night, the Knicks couldn't hit the big shot when it mattered the most in a 100-94 loss to the Detroit Pistons in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Playoffs, and now find themselves in a tug-of-war series with a good, young Pistons team.

The Knicks found themselves down 13 points with 7:10 to go in Game 2, before storming back to tie the game at 94 when Josh Hart connected on a slam dunk with 1:15 to go in regulation.

The good vibes didn't last long. Detroit's Dennis Schroder who killed the Knicks all night off the bench, drilled a 26-foot three pointer with 55 seconds to go, giving Detroit a 97-94 lead.

In response, with New York needing an answer Mikal Bridges missed a wide open three-pointer with 11 seconds to go that would have tied the game again. Superstar Jalen Brunson also missed a makable three in the wanning seconds. All told it was not enough as the Knicks dropped Game 2.

Now the series shifts to the Motor City for Game Three on Thursday night. While the Pistons are a beatable team, they are not going to make things easy on the Knicks.

For starters, Cade Cunningham continues to dominate New York. As he did during the regular season, Cunningham proved to be a handful in Game 2. He scored 33 points and managed to record 12 rebounds. When Detroit needed big plays, Cunningham almost assuredly was there to make them.

Moreover, the Pistons found a way to suffocate the Knicks' offensive scheme. Jalen Brunson was the only Knicks player to touch the floor who had a good night statistically against the Pistons, netting 37 points on 12-of-27 shooting. The rest of the team shot a combined 22-of-54 or 40 percent from the floor.

OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Karl-Anthony Towns each scored 10 points apiece in Game 2. That has to change in Game 3 and moving forward.

The Knicks have to out-physical the Pistons and make those tough shots if they are going to put Detroit away. The Pistons are a young team. And young teams tend to carry themselves with a quiet confidence, a sense they are playing with house money. And they are.

All the pressure is squarely on the Knicks. Can they get it done? Can Mikal Bridges, whom the Knicks acquired last off-season, hit the big shots moving past his failures in game 2? Can Karl-Anthony Towns be that difference maker inside the paint that the Knicks thought they would get when they dealt Julius Randal and Donte DiVincenzo for last summer?

Can Jalen Brunson do enough to will this team to victory and get this series back on track?

We will get answers Thursday. Anything less than a statement win in Game 3, and suddenly this series could be in crisis.