The top two teams in the Eastern Conference standings will match up in Detroit on Monday night. It could be a preview of this season’s Eastern Conference Finals, though both the Pistons and New York Knicks are missing key players.
New York will be looking to shed a three-game losing streak. Part of the reason for its reversal in fortune is the absence of Josh Hart. He’s been sidelined the past five games due to an ankle injury and won’t play on Monday.
“At the end of the day, having Josh out there helps a ton,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. ” … Right now, our pace is not good. We’re walking the ball up almost every time and then everything is just going to the front side. It’s been a while, at least these last two games, our staples — our pace in the full court and the front court, we want to space the floor correctly, we want to make quick decisions, we want to touch the paint and we want the ball getting reversed — we haven’t seen a lot of any of that.”
The last two losses have come on the Knicks’ home floor. Atlanta defeated them 111-99 on Friday and Philadelphia downed them 130-119 on Saturday.
“Obviously, we miss (Hart), but there is no excuse to what we should be doing out there,” point guard Jalen Brunson said. “Obviously, he’s a big part of what we do, but we gotta step up.”
This will be the first meeting between New York and Detroit since the Knicks eliminated the Pistons during the first round of last year’s playoffs.
The Pistons are missing two starters — forward Tobias Harris (left hip sprain) and center Jalen Duren (right ankle sprain). They managed to pull out a 114-110 road win at Cleveland on Sunday afternoon despite those absences.
Coach J.B. Bickerstaff used a bigger lineup with Paul Reed and Isaiah Stewart starting at the power positions. However, it was reserve two-way guard Daniss Jenkins who came to the rescue. Jenkins scored 21 points in the first half and hit four clutch free throws in the closing seconds.
“He was unbelievable,” Bickerstaff said. “It’s the trust factor, we talk about it all the time. We have 18 guys on our roster that we believe in. We have 18 guys that we know (if) we put in the game can help us win. They know how to play Pistons basketball. They play unselfishly. They play with a high spirit and the confidence to go out and do what it takes to get it done.”
Overall, the Pistons reserves provided 51 points, 18 rebounds, four blocks and three steals.
“This is something we have been doing all year, staying together as a group and having that stay-ready mentality,” second-unit wing Javonte Green said.
The Pistons’ star guard Cade Cunningham had his typical game — 27 points, seven assists and six rebounds. Cunningham is averaging 28.2 points, 11 assists and 5.8 rebounds over the last five games.
The game on Monday begins a six-game homestand for the Eastern Conference leaders.
