The Knicks look to close out their series against the Pistons Thursday night in a surprisingly competitive first-round matchup that has defied home-court advantage.
New York leads Detroit 3-2 as the series shifts back to Little Caesars Arena for Game 6. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT and truTV.
The Pistons enter as slight 1.5-point favorites despite dropping nine straight home playoff games dating back to 2008.
Detroit kept their season alive with a gutsy 106-103 win in New York on Tuesday night, avoiding elimination and forcing this sixth game.
Cade Cunningham caught fire in Game 5, pouring in 20 of his 24 points in the second half when the Pistons needed him most.
Rookie Ausar Thompson had his breakout moment of the series, contributing 22 points in what was easily his best offensive performance.
The road team has strangely dominated this matchup, winning four of the five games so far.
“The focus is just the game that’s in front of us,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “We’re not a team that looks out five games. We’re a team that just looks and plays in the moment.”
Detroit’s win puts them in position to potentially pull off something truly rare. Only 13 teams in NBA history have ever come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a playoff series.
The Knicks’ star guard Jalen Brunson struggled mightily in Game 5, scoring just 16 points on 4-of-16 shooting after averaging 33.3 points through the first four games.
Karl-Anthony Towns added 17 points and 11 rebounds for New York, while Josh Hart contributed 15 points and 7 rebounds in the losing effort.
“We’ve got to go out there and win the game,” Hart said simply. “We’ve got to go out there and compete.”
The Knicks have been road warriors in this matchup, winning 10 of their last 11 games in Detroit. They’re 19-23 against winning teams this season and 34-18 against Eastern Conference opponents.
ESPN’s Basketball Power Index gives New York a 54.4% chance to close out the series Thursday night.
The Pistons will be monitoring the status of center Isaiah Stewart, who is questionable with a knee injury. Point guard Jaden Ivey remains out indefinitely with a leg injury.
New York enters the game with no reported injuries.
